Creature Changers
by Daidairo
Summary: AU. Isaac had to start his entire life from the beginning because his acquaintances refused to accept the fact that he had special powers. The ability to become a dragon. Trouble somehow finds its way into the story... Mudshipping confirmed
1. Changing to the Changers' place

Creature Changers

AU, set in modern world. A story that I'm starting without plotting the entire story for once. What kind of random things will turn up…?

Note: FB Flashback

Disclaimer: See the word 'disclaimer'? I don't own Golden Sun or its cast. Isaac owns the Golden Sun and Camelot owns the cast which means Isaac as well so does Camelot also own the Golden Sun…?

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 1: Changing to the Changers' place

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Dora fidgeted on her brown wooden stool. She stood up and paced around the kitchen. Then she sat down. She stood up and began pacing again, walking down the kitchen and back to her chair. Absently she picked up a sandwich and put it down. Then picked up another one and dropped it into a glass of milk. Then another.

Sitting across the table from her, holding up several sheets of newspaper, was her husband, Kyle. He raised an eyebrow, watching her drop the sandwich into apple juice.

"Dora, for heaven's sake, what's wrong? Stop pacing and calm down. You'll ruin breakfast at this rate," he said. Dora gasped and plucked out the soggy sandwich from the apple juice jug.

"Sorry, Kyle. It's just that… I'm so worried," she confided, placing the dripping sandwich into the glass of milk.

"About what?" Kyle sighed as he put down his newspaper and fished out the pieces of sandwiches that now resembled marsh weeds. The out-of-shape vegetables seemed to be frowning at him, so he hurriedly threw it into the rubbish bin.

"Isaac's starting school today at that Crystal School for Creature Changers. What if he encounters trouble? What if he's bullied? What if he…"

"Dora, please. Isaac's old enough to look after himself." Kyle said patiently, taking hold of her shoulders and sitting her gently down onto a chair. "Take a deep breath." Dora sighed and breathed deeply. As soon as Kyle sat down, however, she sprang up. She grabbed the large sling bag on another wooden chair and placed it on the table.

"Now what are you doing with his bag?" Kyle asked. He remembered with much amusement that Dora had acted just as funny two years ago, when Isaac entered junior high.

"I'm going to check if he has all he needs for school!"

"Mom, I've already packed it twice," an amused voice echoing Kyle's feelings said. The two turned and saw a boy with a bright, cheery smile standing at the bottom of the staircase leading to the second floor.. He had messy golden hair like Kyle's, which always refused to stay flat, and bright, intelligent eyes with the colour of azure sky.

"Don't worry, Dora, your son is sensible. He gets it from me," Kyle assured her, closing the bag. Dora gave him an isn't-it-time-for-work glare. Kyle grinned and grabbed a piece of toast. "I can take a hint. Isaac, be sure not to touch the apple juice, milk or sandwiches," he called as he picked up a brown briefcase and opened the door. "See you tonight!"

"Well, of all the nerve!" Dora exclaimed huffily. Isaac laughed and slung his bag over one shoulder. He eyed the food on the table warily before taking a piece of honeyed toast. Holding the bread in his mouth, he sat down on the steps of the front door and began to pull on light brown boots.

"Where're the djinn?" he asked with his mouth still clamping on the toast.

"They stayed up late last night to help me unpack, so I decided to let them sleep in today," Dora replied. She watched her son anxiously as he stood up. "Have a good day, Isaac."

"I will, mom. You too; don't kill yourself with housework," Isaac said, taking the toast out of his mouth. He raised one hand to wave as he began down the road.

The Gaias had moved to Crystalia two days ago from Vale. Isaac had been enrolled into the Crystal School for Creature Changers, and he was starting ninth grade that day.

He used to study at Vale Entire Education School. But after a startling discovery only three months ago, he had been isolated. Treated like a freak experiment. Parents of peers had even written to the school. He still remembered the day when he was officially told to leave.

FBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFB

"You wanted to see me, Mrs Alinta?" Isaac asked quietly. The dark eyed brunette in front of him smiled nervously and motioned to the chair in front of her.

"Please sit, Mr Gaia," she said as she sat down behind her desk. Placing her thin elbows on the table and clasping her hands together, she leaned her chin against them, letting her brown curls cascade around her face.

Isaac had butterflies, no, gummy worms, in his stomach as he sat down. Somehow he had a feeling that he hadn't just been summoned to the principal's office for a casual chat. He watched as Mrs Alinta took a deep breath and spoke again.

"I've heard about the incident during the ruin diggin trip. Where you turned into a… a mythical creature," she said.

_I should've guessed,_ he thought bitterly. A classmate called James Westerly accidently hit the roof of the tunnel they were in. The class was nearly burried underground, when Isaac had grown scales and dug an opening out. Everyone had stared at him in total silence as he slowly turned back to human.

"I didn't know about it either, Mrs Alinta," he said truthfully. "That time… it was the first time I changed…"

"I believe you, Mr Gaia. But I'm afraid others don't," Mrs Alinta said. She pursed her lips together. "I've been hearing from the teachers. You haven't been having a good life since it happened, have you?"

Isaac opened his mouth to protest, then shut it again. He had no reason to try to lie.

"Not only the students. The parents are questioning about your sanity and their children's safety."

"What! I… I'd never do anything to hurt anyone!" Isaac cried indignantly. "Mrs Alinta…"

"However, the parents disagree. Some of them even threatened to call the police. They feel that their children should not be allowed to mingle with a Creature Changer," Mrs Alinta continued quickly, as if she wanted to get things over with. "Some of their letters and emails have been quite vile…"

Isaac sat rooted to the spot like a tree. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was chosen by some dumb luck to be a Changer and now he was in trouble for it. Not to mention that the people giving trouble were parents of the classmates he saved.

"So… What am I supposed to do about it?" he asked after he took a few seconds to calm down.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice, Mr Gaia," Mrs Alinta's words were rushing at the speed of a train by then. "I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave the school."

Isaac turned to stone. And he had thought that Mrs Alinta's Medusa-like hair didn't have any thing to do with who she was.

"You may leave now."

Miraculously cured, he stood up and left the room.

FBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFBFB

Which was the reason why he had to move. Like the name suggested, Crystal School was opened specially for Creature Changers, where they also taught Changing as a subject. It was quite a relief to leave Vale; the last three months had been pure torture that Isaac never spoke of.

But the new school disturbed him nearly as much as Dora, though he did not show it as much. He was entirely new to the city, the school and the way things were done. What if he couldn't adapt?

As he stopped in front of a large silver gate, beautifully carved, he stared at the number of students in the school. He hadn't known that so many Changers existed. Slowly, he reached for the gate.

"Unknown persona detected. Name and position please."

"Uh, ninth grade student, Isaac Gaia," Isaac replied, slightly startled. He looked around curiously, but there was no sign of any cameras, speakers or microphones.

"Creature?" the metallic voice asked. Isaac took a deep breath.

"Dragon."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

After lots of pauses left and right…

Somehow this is the best I can come up with for now. I'll write more soon, on account of the short chapter. It's mostly just an introduction anyway.

As to the strange terms and stuff… They'll be explained!

Daidairo


	2. Friends and… Freaks? Weird People

Creature Changers

I've edited the previous chapter to lengthen it, as well as explain several stuff.

I'll be updating as fast as I can for this one, and the genre would probably be changed from humour to romance. Though that might not come till later, of course.

Disclaimer: Check that word in the dictionary and you'll understand I don't own Golden Sun. The principal isn't mine either, though he seems to be.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Dracobolt: Thank you! It certainly did brighten my day, I was feeling pretty upset due to school when I saw the email note. Thanks for the comments! I've lengthened the first chapter, you might want to review it if you're still reading.

Kodoku: Thank you for the compliment, and no I didn't think otherwise. I like my disclaimer too (I'm shamelessly boasting here…) but this one isn't so good, is it…?

lunarwolvesshadow: Thank you! I'm continuing!

raitei: Thank you for the kind comments! No, I don't mind you asking questions, and of course, I won't desert the other characters. Though I love Isaac, I don't show favourtism (I hope) and the others will be Creature Changers. Some appear in this chapter. As for the parings… I will probably be writing my usual ones. However, I'm still torn between mudshipping and valeshipping. As I haven't plotted the story yet, I'll probably flow along until a suitable point and throw in some minor fluff probably. If I do choose mudshipping, valeshipping will be in. I'll see how it goes. If you have a particular pairing in mind, don't hesitate to say it. As well as give a good reason. If enough reviewers give me appropriate reasons, there's no reason why I shouldn't change my pairings. Just don't give a 'because they're made for each other reason, because I certainly shan't listen. (I know you won't though; I have a feeling you're not that sort)

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 2: Friends and… Freaks? Weird People?

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Identity confirmed. Please collect identity crystal from the General Office, and keep it with you at all times in the school. You will only be permitted to enter if you have the crystal," the metallic voice continued. "Proceed."

The gates swung open, and Isaac walked in, still startled. Several students who had been talking nearby turned and stared at him in interest as the metal gates closed behind him with a clang.

"He's looks too old to be a seventh year. But he's definitely new, he doesn't have the crystal," a blond girl remarked. "He's good looking too."

The girl beside her rolled her red eyes. Her long red hair had been pulled into a ponytail, and she wore the Crystal uniform for girls. She moved a pile of books onto the other hand and smiled at Isaac. "Hello. My name's Jenna. Do you need any help? You look pretty lost right now."

Slightly taken aback by her rather straightforward attitude, Isaac replied, "Uh, yeah. Can you tell me where the General Office is?"

Jenna pointed northeast, where a crowd of young students had already gathered. "Over there. Just follow the crowd and you won't get lost."

"Thanks," Isaac smiled and walked off towards the GO. Behind him, the three girls began to giggle again.

"Oh, by the way, what creature do you change into?" Jenna called. As Isaac walked off, he threw the reply over his shoulder.

"Dragon."

He failed to notice the silence left behind him.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"All right, settle down, everyone!" the old man on stage barked. He frowned as the students in the hall refused to listen, chattering happily among themselves. Pushing his glasses up his nose, he yelled, "CREATURE CHANGERS, SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN BEFORE I FEED YOU TO THE CHANGER-HATERS!"

There was a gulp and silence filled the room immediately. The man smiled.

He had rather curly white hair that hung over his shoulders. He wore a sweater and long dark pants, covered by a long brown coat that made him look like a mixture of past and present.

"To those who are new, my name is Kraden Rebittha. I am the Vice-Principal, though I would prefer the title _'Master Kraden'_, and it is my duty to tell you about your duties in this school concerning rules. First and most important, no killing of fellow students, even if you can. No one has succeeded yet, but anyone caught attempting will get into Very Serious Trouble. Three tries will end up in quarantine at home. If the rule is broken again, that is to say, you 'have not learnt your lesson', you will be expelled." Here the man cast a meaningful glance at several students, who gulped.

Master Kraden smirked evily in a very undignified way. "Handphones, diskmans and MP3 players will only be allowed during break, free periods and after school. As today is Orientation Day, we have decided to bend this rule just once." A cheer rose from the listening audience. "HOWEVER," Kraden continued, commanding silence again, "if we catch sight of any illegal stuff in the classroom, they will be confiscated. Which means, no return. Food is allowed, if they do not disrupt the class, and no littering is allowed anywhere. If caught, student will be made to clean entire school alone."

As the seventh years and newcomers gulped at the harsh penalties, a few murmurs rose from the box where the teachers were seated. Kraden smiled and turned back to the microphone. "Lastly, do not attack teachers or you will get _it_. If they are not Changers and cannot counter your attacks, you will be in trouble for attacking a defenseless person.. If they are Changers, you will be in even _bigger_ trouble. That covers all the important rules. The rest can be found in the Student Handbook that your teachers will give you. Any questions?"

His eyes scanned the hall watchfully before he spoke again. "Now, for the usual opening speech. Let me hand the mike over to Mr Sepians Unus, our principal."

There was a ragged round of applause as a man with pale grey hair stepped up onto the stage beside Kraden. Though he looked young, without a single wrinkle, there was a look in his light emerald eyes that appeared extremely wise and commanded respect from most people. As the principal looked around the hall, eerily seeming to notice every single thing, the applause died.

The students did not know much about their head. Not even the staff members talked to him much, including Kraden. He rarely appeared, except on special occasions. As a result, some people thought him eccentric. But he had displayed amazing powers long ago, powers that no other Changer had. The older students of the school were awed, and they had told their juniors. Who disbelieved them. Having forseen the future before, he was also said to be a psychic. Most non-changers called it crap.

"Welcome to a new year at Crystal School for Creature Changers," he said in a deep, clear voice. "New students, all of us here welcome you warmly, and we hope you will enjoy your time here. Older students, welcome back. We hope you will continue to have a good time here. As I always say, 'Happiness lies where your sense does'. So far it hasn't applied to me yet, but I hope it will soon."

The principal paused and smiled. Up till then, his face had been void of emotions and expressions, and nothing could be read from it. The smile, though sincere, looked out of place, as if it was rare and appeared only a few times.

"I wish all of you good luck, and all the best in whatever you do. May the gods be with you." He stretched his hands out on either side of him, then brought them together in front of him and bowed.

The students, excluding newcomers, rose and performed similar bows. "And you," they murmured.

Kraden reached for the microphone again.

"New students, your timetables will be posted on the noticeboard outside the GO. Copy them down before you leave today. The classroom you are supposed to go to is written on the timetable as well. The column marked with a crystal shard will be the Form Classroom of the class, that is to say, the teacher in charge of that room is the Form Teacher. The lockers outside every classroom is reserved for the use of the students in that class only. Form Teachers will assign lockers. Older students, your timetables have already been sent to you in the holidays. For this year's orientation, we will be splitting you into groups. Your identity , crystals will shine either red, blue, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple or black when you say 'Group colour'. That will determine which group you belong to."

Curious chatters broke out as several calls of 'Group colour!' rang out. Students were trying out the new function of their identity crystals.

"After being split into colours, you will be further split by the teachers in charge. Black, stay here. Blue, gather in the canteen. Yellow, in the library. Orange, gather on the overhead bridge. Pink, the courtyard. Purple, the Performing Arts room. Red, the auditorium. Please gather at the respective places in fifteen minutes' time," Kraden shouted over the din. "Dismissed!"

Loud, noisy chatters filled the hall as the students filed out in large groups.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Blue? Blue… blue in the canteen!" Isaac peered at his light, translucent crystal as it shone softly.

The problem: where was the canteen located. Feeling extremely small, Isaac looked around at the masses of students moving off left and right.

"Oh YEAH! I'm in blue!" he heard a loud happy voice shout. Turning, he noticed another red haired student.

This one was large and friendly looking, with a wide and smiley grin on his face. He looked about the same age as Isaac, but taller. His height was further enhanced by his lava coloured hair, which stood straight up as if it had been gelled. Shouting to someone hidden by the crowds, he began to head off.

"Excuse me, excuse me. I have to get to the canteen!" he bawled, pushing other annoyed students off.

Making up his mind quickly, Isaac began to trail the student. He did not notice anyone shadowing him, but continued walking, whistling happily.

New as he was, Isaac knew there was something wrong when he found himself back in the hall. Hesitantly he tapped his 'guide' on the shoulder.

"Eh? Hello there! Whaddaya want?" he asked.

"Uh, you said you were going to the canteen? But you're back at the hall!" Isaac said as politely as he could.

"Eh?" the redhead glanced about him. "Oh yeah, I am!"

Isaac sweatdropped and smacked his forehead. The other student grinned sheepishly.

"Heh… I always get lost easily… sorry about that!" he said, still grinning.

A nearby student rolled his gold eyes. He had strange blue hair that he wore long over a large bandanna. Isaac immediately thought it was dyed.

"Garet, you'll get lost in your own house," he said, shaking his head. "If you can't remember where the canteen is, at least don't make a seventh year get lost with you!"

Isaac felt rather indignant. Did he look _that_ young? "I'm starting at ninth this year."

"Oh, you are? Sorry about that. Anyway, the canteen's over there. See that blue door? All blue doors you see in this school leads to the canteen," the blue haired man said. "You two had better get going, orientation is about to start. Say hi to Felix for me, Garet!"

"Right!" Garet waved. One arm grabbed Isaac by the waist, and he began heading for the blue door.

"W-wait! Who was that? Who's Felix? Where're you taking me?" Isaac cried. He was beginning to feel extremely confused. The fact that Garet was _carrying_ him with only one arm terrified him even more. _This strength is inhuman!_

"That was Piers. Felix is Piers' friend. I'm taking you to the canteen. Aren't you in Blue group?" Garet asked cheerfully as he reached for the door.

"Yes I am but…"

Garet threw open the blue door. All eyes turned to the two. Isaac felt himself turning red.

"You're late," a voice snapped.

Isaac glanced at the speaker and gasped.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

A cliffhanger… I am evil….


	3. Not TradingCardGame:Toad,Centaur,Gorilla

Creature Changers

And another pure imagination chapter! Introducing more characters!

Disclaimer: I've run out of imagination. Let's destroy the word 'disclaimer'. Take out the letters 'sclair' and we get a dime! Shopping for Golden Sun… Does it cost a dime?

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Thank you reviewers, there are so many! XDXD

thegrandfour: It's very late, but here's an update.

Dracobolt: Here's another update, and it's not as short. I think.

Kodoku: It's not Saturos, but you're really, really close. Read to see what happens! PS to your PS, I'm a mudshipping fan too! But I can take valeshipping. I think. I haven't tried. I'll take your vote in mind!

lunarwolvesshadow: I seriously hope I won't leave this hanging! I'll try extra hard to complete this! Thank you for the amazing compliment (squee!) Lessee, I think I'm a mental doctor. Can I help you? PS to your PS, I like the crystals too. I might want to add other functions!

raitei: I certainly have arranged everything. I even drew up list of teachers, club organisation thingys, timetables and such… my head's spinning with information! Well, the principal isn't original. He's official, but you'll see how later. (As to how much later, I'm not sure.) Yes, I usually think the same way you do (WHAHA! Please tell me you usually support lighthouseshipping) but I might want to be different this time round. After all, I want to explore everything rather than stick to the same beliefs. I'll certainly take your votes in mind! BTW to your BTW, I'm not on holiday. Wish I was, school is killing me.

FireAdept666: Thank you! I know I'm evil, I'm meant to be.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 3: Not TradingCardGame.Toad, Centaur & Gorilla

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The man looked human. Seemed human. His hair was greenish white. Could have been dyed like Piers'. But his skin was green as well.

He peered at Isaac's gaping face and sighed. "Another newbie, huh. Right, Mr Mars, put that blond down. My name is Agatio Char. I don't want to hear your reasons for not being punctual, since they're definitely not valid. Sit down and listen."

Garet scowled and put Isaac down. "But sir, Mr Char, I _have_ a valid reason!"

"Indeed? Sit down and shut up. Now that everyone is here, I'm going to further divide you into teams. Each team will have 10 people," Agatio said. Lifting his finger, he began to point at each person in the canteen. As he pointed, he spouted out a number. "You, one. The blond next to you, two. Then you, three, then you four. And you five. You, no not six, one. And two…"

It continued until all fifty people were numbered.

"Now, your number will be the team you're in. So First Blues, in that corner. Second Blues, that corner," Agatio pointed. "Third Blues, next corner. Fourth Blues, the last corner. Fifth Blues, you don't have a corner. Sit in the middle."

The students scurried to their positions. Isaac had been given a 'two', so he went obediently to the eastern corner. Garet was also a two, and he was laughing and whacking another student on the back.

Isaac observed him. He had long brown hair tied in a loose ponytail over one shoulder, and soft brown eyes. He gave Garet a faint smile and continued keeping silent. He didn't seem to like talking much, and his eyes showed a I'm-thinking expression.

"Oh, and Piers said to say hi!" Garet continued in his ever cheerful way.

_So this must be Felix,_ Isaac thought. He was shook from his thoughts when Agatio walked up to them.

"Second Blues, I will be your leader," he barked. "Listen to my instructions carefully. Our first session is Icebreaking. So, the usual thing; sit down in a circle."

Quietly, the group of ten sat down beside Agatio, who also sat cross-legged. Unlike many of the let's-be-dignified teachers in Isaac's old school.

"I am Agatio Char. Age 34. Creature, Lizard. Position, Teacher. Among people who know me, I am famous, and among those who do not, I am not," he announced.

Many laughed. The light haired boy next to him spoke next.

"I am Edward Tenso. Age 15. I turn into a rabbit. Position is eighth grade. I like pineapples," he said.

"I'm Garet Mars, 16 years old!" Garet said cheerfully. As usual. Isaac knew by then that nearly nothing could dampen his spirit. "I'm in ninth grade, I like food, and I like soccer."

"Creature?" Edward asked.

"Same as everyone, an animal," Garet said, grinning. Agatio surveyed him.

"You train under Master Kraden, do you not? Yeah, those are the 'top secret. It's better if you do not know' creatures, right?" Agatio scorned, mimicking Kraden's voice. "Next."

"Felix Venus. 17, grade ten. My creature is… the four hooved one," Felix said quietly. Garet glared at him

"Horse. Next?" Agatio asked.

Isaac felt suspicious. Felix did not name his creature. _Why?_ _Four hooved… is there anything else four hooved? Cow? Pigs? No, pigs have trotters…_

"Alicia Poalite…"

"Hugho Fyals…"

"Hey, you, new boy!" Agatio yelled. Isaac blinked.

"Oh. Sorry. I'm Isaac Gaia, 16 years old. Grade nine, but I transferred here. My creature is… a dragon."

There was a few seconds of silence.

"Whahahhahahahhah! You expect me to believe that?" Agatio scoffed again. "Please, you don't have to try to act cool just because you wanna look tough!"

"But…"

"Listen kid. The people who try to act modern and 'hip' and show off always end up crazy," Agatio barked. His eyes narrowed. "People who lie end up worse. You're probably just a komodo dragon! If you're telling the truth, well, show me!"

Isaac clenched his fists.

Up till then, he still did not know how to change. There was no one who could teach him in Vale. No one who would.

"Agatio! Time for the combined Icebreakers!" another teacher called.

"You heard the lady. We're combining with the First Blues Team," Agatio growled. "Make space!"

The students squeezed together to make way for the other group of ten. A young man with brown hair wearing a red bandanna made his way to the front.

"'Scuse me, you. Move away!" he ordered, a silly grin framing his face. "I want to sit next to Alicia!"

Alicia tittered as he pushed a short, young boy out of the way and sneered at him. Isaac felt indignant. Before he could interfere, however, he told himself to calm down.

"Don't pick fights…" he murmured, remembering Dora's words. He glared at the offending guy, who glared back.

"What's up? You got anything to say? Huh?" he demanded.

"No," Isaac replied quietly.

"Kay, listen up!" the female teacher in charge of Blue 1 called. She had bright pink hair that was pulled up in a bun at the back of her head, and her one-piece dress was white and spotlessly clean. "I'm Tira Sesabiant, and we're going to play Whacko! The game is simple. One person will use a wrapped piece of newspaper to whack the person whose name is called. For example, Mr Char's name is called. I will try to whack him with the newspaper."

"To avoid being whacked, I will call out another name, say, Mr Briggs Kaek," Agatio said. "If I manage to do it before I get whacked by Miss Sesabiant, she goes to whack Mr Kaek."

"Like so!" Miss Sesabiant whacked the brown haired boy with the roll of newpaper.

"Hey!" he yelped.

"And then Mr Kaek gets to be the whacko. Mr Char will sit down in his place, and call the next person. The person who gets whacked a second time will perform a forfeit. Rules: Call only a person from another team, and no calling of the person who called you," Miss Sesabiant said.

"Begin!" Agatio called. "Mr Orphul Anbrile!"

Miss Sesabiant advanced towards the student. Isaac watched the students yell names and point fingers until Miss Sesabiant, who was by then also sitting on the floor, called out.

"Mr Isaac Gaia!"

The blond girl holding the newspaper followed Miss Sesabiant's finger to where Isaac was, and raised the whacking roll. Isaac panicked. He didn't know anyone from the other team.

Except…

"Mr Briggs Kaek!" he called. The girl spun round and slammed the newspaper onto Briggs.

"Hey!"

Glaring at Isaac, he stood up and snatched the paper from the blond girl. The game continued until Isaac's name was called again, this time by a brown haired girl from the other team that was part of Jenna's group. Garet went over to Isaac, his face grinning.

"Um… um… Mr Briggs Kaek!"

All the students laughed as the surprised boy was whacked again. Very, very hard. Garet gave Isaac a thumbs up as he sat down in Briggs' place.

"Forfeit!" Miss Sesabiant said. "Mr Gaia, select a forfeit!"

Isaac knew he was doomed. Briggs would kill him. Quickly, he scanned his mind for a simple forfeit.

"Write your name using your tongue!" he blurted. Most people back in Vale used it to make faces at the teachers.

Apparently, Briggs didn't appreciate it. He nervously stuck out his tongue and began to waggle it for the curves of the B. The others squealed with laughter. Briggs' face burned with humiliation.

As soon as he finished, he gave several students in his team a funny look. They nodded at him.

"Mr Rahska York!" Garet called, nudging Briggs with his foot. Briggs glanced at the boy, who nodded at once.

"Mr Isaac Gaia!" Rahska York cried. Now Isaac panicked. He didn't remember anyone else. Briggs approached him with a funny gleam in his eye.

_Might as well get whacked, though I'm sure he'll kill me,_ Isaac thought, resigned. He suddenly noticed that Briggs was gripping the roll with only one hand. _Wouldn't two be more effective? _The second hand was behind his ear. Touching something before it went back to the paper. Suddenly Briggs' skin seemed darker. He seemed to grow bigger. As he loomed over Isaac, both hands raised the newspaper up high.

Isaac knew he had changed. And nothing was likely to beat the strength of a gorilla.

"NO!" Instinctively, Isaac put his arms up in front of him and closed his eyes. _Do something, Isaac! I can't… Help… Someone…!_

He heard a resounding crack. Isaac felt something strange. Something he had only experienced once. Felt his senses becoming more sensitive.

The newspaper came crashing down. It met with Isaac's arms. And tore with a screech.

Isaac opened his eyes, stunned. He stared at his arms. His scaly arms. Silver blades protruded from his elbows.

He looked around. Everyone in the room was staring at him. Briggs' gorilla face was twisted with horror.

"What?" he tried to say. All that came out of his mouth was a loud shriek. Then suddenly nearly everyone else was screaming.

"Quick! Get up!" Garet grabbed Isaac's arm and pulled him up. "Hurry! Let's go!"

Half stumbling, Isaac blindly followed Garet off as they ran to the hall.

_I've… changed… again… _Isaac thought. Garet slipped into the hall and hollered.

"MASTER KRADEN! EMERGENCY!"

As the vice-principal came out, he closed the door behind him. Taking one look at Isaac, he frowned.

"Carry him to that classroom. Quickly."

Garet immediately lifted Isaac and followed Kraden into the empty classroom.

"You conscious? Listen to me," Kraden spoke clearly. "You need to change back. Try to remember who you are. Do you know who you are? Focus on who you are. Relax. Relax, and let your body find peace. Take deep breaths. Picture yourself. Deep breaths."

Isaac tried to follow the instructions. He felt panic and fear slowly leaving him, and he breathed deeply. He felt his senses dull slowly, and soon he was sitting on the floor, rather than on his tail.

Isaac glanced at his hands. Human.

"What is your name, boy?" Kraden asked.

"Isaac Gaia. From Grade 9," Isaac replied softly.

"Do you know what you just changed into?" Kraden asked.

"A dragon," Isaac replied. He felt shaken. He hadn't meant to change. Hadn't meant to rip the newspaper.

"Changers who transform into mythical creatures are extremely rare. Which is why very few teachers even know about it. Agatio Char used to be clueless, until today, I guess," Kraden rubbed his head, and smiled sadly. "You must hide the fact that you're a dragon."

"Why?" Isaac asked.

"Have you ever been to a place full of Changer haters?" Garet asked quietly. "They don't like us because we're different. Ordinary changers that don't have mythicals will do the same."

"Exactly. All the students who have mythical creatures study Changing with me. I'll have to ask you to do the same, Isaac," Kraden said. It was the first time a teacher called him by his first name, and it suddenly made Kraden seem a lot friendlier. "Also. Changers change when their feelings spin out of control. You must learn to control your feelings, and not change unless you want to."

"I… I don't know how to change," Isaac admitted.

"Where's your birthmark?" Garet inquired.

"Birthmark?" Isaac repeated, puzzled.

"All changers have a special birthmark. When they press the birthmark and will themselves to change, they will transform. Changing back is pretty much the same, except you don't have to press anything," Kraden explained.

Isaac remembered the strange sign on his collarbone. He pulled down the collar of his uniform, revealing a strange, sunlike symbol.

"That's it all right. I'll tell you more about it when you come to me for lessons tomorrow, okay?" Kraden smiled. Isaac smiled back.

"Thank you, sir."

"Kraden will do. I don't like titles, and I don't like my first name," Kraden said, grinning.

This teacher is definitely different.

"Kraden, then."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Right, that ends the tour of the school!" Miss Sesabiant called. "Blue students, you have fifteen minutes break before we assemble in the canteen for dinner!"

Isaac quietly headed for the canteen. He didn't need to go to the toilet, and he didn't need to find friends. After all, he had avoided everyone since his change. And most of them avoided him as well.

Sitting down at a table, he rested his head on clasped hands and sighed. Going through the day's events in his mind, he could still remember his confusion upon changing. As well as why Agatio Char was green.

Footsteps sounded behind him, and someone pulled him up by the back of his collar.

"So," Briggs hissed. "Trying to show off, eh? Make me look bad again, eh, giant komodo dragon?"

Isaac struggled hard and landed on his feet. He whirled round to face Briggs. Two other tall guys stood beside him.

"What do you want?" Isaac asked quietly, his heart beating fast.

"Me? I want justice, you FREAK!" Briggs spat. His hand reached behind his ears. Both his friends reached for their birthmarks, and Isaac found himself face to face with a gorilla, a toad and a zebra.

Isaac stepped back. He didn't want to pick a fight with animals bigger than himself. He didn't _know_ how to pick a fight using his dragon form.

_Think, Isaac, think!_ he thought franctically.

The toad stuck out a tongue and wrapped it around Isaac's foot. Briggs roared and raised one large fist. Isaac's leg muscles tensed to run, but he could not move.

Just then, loud beats were heard on the floor. The zebra howled in agony as it flew towards a wall. Isaac glimpsed a flash of green as the frog's tongue bent and the amphibian screeched. His leg was released, and Briggs was soon crushed to the floor by hard hooves.

The attacker finally stopped speeding. Isaac's eyes widened.

"A… centaur? It… how… you're…!"

"You know, you've got to learn to protect yourself. Even if you don't have good hooves," the centaur remarked.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Yay, another chapter! It's supposed to have a second part, but I think it's way too long already…


	4. Learning Lessons

Creature Changers

I know I took a friggin long time to update this time! Please feel free to skip the reviewer response and disclaimer! Since the disclaimer is now boring anyway…

means speech by creatures.

Disclaimer: Again again again I say, I do not own Golden Sun. Can you read? Can't understand English? Ougon no Taiyou wa watashi no mono janai. Wakarimasu ka? Still don't understand? Huang jin tai yang bu shi wo de. Ming bai ma? Still can't understand? EGO don't own Rutilus Sol solis. Operor vos agnosco? Gah. Last attempt, I'm sure those who understand are sick and tired. Gwisga t addef 'n Euraid Heula. Ddealli? … Don't understand, you shouldn't even be here. Cause this fic is in ENGLISH.

(A/N: My disclaimer is getting lamer. This isn't even funny.)

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

raitei: Thank you for the compliment! Yeah yeah, my pretty centaur's revealed in here, but since everyone guessed correctly, I'll say it now. It's Felix all right. Garet and the others will change too. Soon. The new names are mostly filler characters, and I don't care about them; their names were mostly spun out of thin air. Briggs' family name was also spun. As for Sepians Unus, he is an OFFICIAL character, just that I gave him a slightly different name. Slightly. Pairings wise, you and I are friggin ALIKE! XD I'll see what I can do here. But if I end up doing valeshipping, I hope I'll have enough skill to entice mudshipping lovers! Thank you for all the support!

Princess Viv: Waaiiiii you're back! I'm not doing Legend of the Stars now because I need a break from serious stuff. So this more lighthearted and (hopefully since I'm trying to make it) humourous one is on my list. Mia and the others are going to be introduced, but you should've noticed that I'm not sure if I'll do mudshipping this time. I know it's your greatest desire, so I'll take that as a vote!

savinglifelessness: A zebra can do lots. Kicking, biting, stomping, headbutting, pushing… you name it. A human with no special weapons can do loads too. I mean, if zebras were useless they wouldn't survive and would be extinct by now. Thank you for the compliment!

Kodoku: The phrase I wrote when I thought of it. But I realized only later that it's not mine. I REMEMBER WHERE IT'S FROM. Inuyasha, which I don't own, had an episode where Toutousai said something similar. So guys, I don't own that quote! The game Whacko is played all over schools in my country, so I decided to use it! It's pretty fun. Especially the forfeits… (imagines Felix having to do ballet) Yup the centaur is Felix. Everyone's so smart! You don't talk too much, I do. (points at all reviewer responses) You won't like this disclaimer, it's not as nice. (I'm running out of ideas and I need to go crazy)

crazy-but-fun: Thank you! I'm continuing! Please don't die!

hope: It's Felix, yeah. Thank you! And oh. It's not jealousy that got them. It's fear. Humans often fear and dislike things they don't know. Plus dragons in history are known as horrible creatures who steal princesses, yeah? Only a few people (like me, like Jake, like Mayuko, like…) are dragon lovers. Thank you for the review!

lunarwolvesshadow: Thank you for the compliment! Yes, Whacko is fun, like mentioned somewhere above, schools in my country play it. The most popular forfeit is "chicken dance", something you'd probably not want to do, but since everyone uses it I thought I'd give ol' Briggs something else.

guy: I'll count that as a vote for Valeshipping.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 4: Learning Lessons

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Isaac stared at the second mythical creature he had seen in real life. The centaur had viridian green hair on the horse part of his body, and his long swishing tail was dark brown. Like his hair.

"You're also… a mythical… That's why you wouldn't tell Mr Char what creature you were!" Isaac cried.

"Yeah. Four hooves was the closest I could get to sounding normal and still tell the truth," Felix said. His expression turned serious. "You're a new kid, but you've got to learn this. When you're picked on, you have to fight back."

"We're forbidden to…" Isaac protested.

"By the teachers? Yes, you may get punished, but it's the least you can do to defend yourself. That is the unwritten rule, of the honour of the students," Felix said quietly. His deep brown eyes stared into Isaac's unblinkingly. "Do you understand? Isaac Gaia?"

"Yes," Isaac replied. Felix's body glowed and he began to shrink swiftly. Back in his human body, with a nonchalant look on his face, no one would have guessed that he was a changer, much less one with a mythical creature.

"We'd better get to dinner," Felix said. He turned and walked swiftly off to the canteen, leaving Isaac to linger behind with his thoughts.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"You're late! How was it?" Dora demanded, a crease cutting into her forehead. Isaac smiled and placed his bag on the sofa.

"Not bad. Extremely interesting," he replied cheerfully. "As today was Orientation Day, we were asked to stay back to dinner. Sorry to be late."

"That's all right, son," Kyle called from in front of the television, "But next time, call home. Dora's been strangling me with worry."

"I have NOT!"

"Oh yes you have, you even bullied poor Flint to…"

Isaac chuckled as he went up the stairs to his room. Its walls were painted a light creamy brown, and except for a simple white bed, a brown mahogany cabinet and several large cardboard boxes, the room was rather empty and neat.

Sitting on the white bed was a flat glass chessboard with two brown creatures on either side of it. Each was the size of a human palm, and looked extremely alike. Only a few barely noticeable differences separated the two.

"Check! Check!" One of the creatures chirped.

"You cheated, I know you did!" the other one yelled with a slightly higher voice.

"I…"

"Cut it out, Flint and Ground. I came up to escape mom and dad's quarrel, not to listen to yours," Isaac said jokingly. Both brown creatures whipped their heads, or rather top part of their bodies, around. With identical shrieks they launched themselves at Isaac, who laughed and patted them affectionately.

Scientists had found the tiny creatures known as djinn extremely fascinating. Afraid of being used as guinea pigs, they had escaped and spread all over the world. Though no one really knew what their abilities were, not even the djinn themselves, devoted owners keeping them as pets had fiercely protected those they kept. Others had disappeared, hiding themselves.

Following Greek mythology, the four different species of djinn had been named Venus, Mars, Mercury and Jupiter. Each djinn had their own name, but somehow that was all they knew.

Isaac remembered when Flint and Ground, both Venus djinn, appeared at his window. All they knew then were their own names and scary scientists. They didn't know where they came from, what had happened, just that they were found by humans. Isaac had immediately took the creatures under his thumb. Ever since then, they had been helping Dora with the housework using their amazing abilities.

"Isaac! Isaac! You're back! You're back! Do you know what Dora did to me today!"

"And me! She…"

"Sorry, guys. Whatever she did, it was because she was worried about me," Isaac said apologetically.

"Even nerves can't be that bad," Flint said, raising one eye.

"Yeah, yeah. She practically poured hot tea over me!" Ground complained.

"Give her a break. Wouldn't you guys be worried if your kid was going to school in an unfamiliar place?" Isaac asked. Flint and Ground eyed each other.

"Do we even have kids?" Flint asked.

"We really don't know anything about ourselves," Ground said sadly.

Whenever the djinn felt bad about not remembering their past, they behaved like mopey children. Isaac heaved a sigh. Time for the usual counseling.

"Now, you mustn't get upset. It's not your fault…"

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Identity crystal detected. Please enter and gather in the Parade Square for morning assembly," the gate announced, swinging open. Isaac looked around and saw that the parade square was already filled with assembling students. Cards with names of classes were held up by teachers, and students from the class gathered in a straight line in front of the teacher.

Isaac hurried over to the queue for class 9A. To his relief, there was no one in the same line he could recognise from orientation.Except…

"Yo, Randall! Had good hols?" Garet yelled at someone in another line. Isaac grinned. Garet looked extremely friendly, and he did help when he had accidentally changed.

"Alright, students! Settle down, settle down!" Kraden cried. As usual, no one bothered to listen to him. Kraden shook his head and sighed. "I think I'm a little too old for this."

Those who bothered to listen laughed. It wasn't long before the 'changer-hater' threat was used, and the noisy chatterboxes shut up.

"Well, check your timetables and your maps, don't get lost, and watch out for each other. There's not much on first day other than that, and you will be given five minutes of class contact with your form teachers to settle administrative business today. Teachers, you already have your orders. You can begin now."

A green eyed lady with short brown hair holding the 9A card beckoned to her class and motioned for them to sit around her.

"I am Alana Malvonite, form teacher of 9A this year. I will be taking you for Literature lessons, but that will come when I see you in my classroom. Now, I need to assign a temporary chairman and vice chairman," she said briskly before scanning the class with sharp, alert eyes. Hearing the grumbles of several students, she raised her thick eyebrows.

"It's _temporary_," she hissed. "You can vote after a week of getting to know your classmates better. For now… is there a Rachel here? And a Dave?"

Two reluctant hands rose. Miss Malvonite nodded. "Right. You two will take the job for now. Before you head for your first class, go to the general office and collect the school diaries. Distribute it immediately. Is there anything else?"

Rachel Aishaw and Dave Nicholas put down their hands, both looking revolted at the idea of responsibilty. The rest of the students were silent. Miss Malvonite handed the class list to Rachel.

"That reminds me. Your lockers are located outside my classroom. A simple instruction manual with the locker's original combination will be taped to the door. Each locker has a number on it, and will be assigned according to index number. Find out from Rachel your number, and that will be your locker number. Dismissed," she said curtly.

Isaac decided that she was the responsible and serious type. There might not be much humour in her lessons, but they would definitely be taught well. The determined look in her face showed that she wanted to do her job well.

Snapping out of analysation mode, Isaac hastily grabbed his bag and pulled out his timetable. Checking it briefly for (1)Suisanday, he wondered what Mr Theophilus Mil, teaching Maths, was like. Slotting the piece of paper back into his bag, he headed for the staircase with the rest of his class. Nearly all of them were talking and laughing away.

On the third floor, the students unanimously entered the first classroom. A fairly tall man with spiky hair and suspiciously bright eyes greeted them with a grin. He wore black rimmed glasses and a lined shirt, which immediately struck most shallow students as 'geek' at first sight.

"9A, right? Sit down!" he called, grinning. "I have no preferences in sitting arrangements whatsoever, so you can choose your own seats."

The positive comment sent the students scuttling to find seats. Navy blue tables were arranged in pairs with cream coloured chairs behind. Isaac knew that an unwritten and unfair rule was that older students get to bag seats, while new ones took the leftovers. Patiently, he stood at the side until most of the seats were taken.

Hesitantly, he slipped into the chair next to Garet, who grinned.

"Tough being a new guy, ain't it?" he said good-naturedly. "I'll sponsor you for the first few days, okay?"

"Sponsor?" Isaac racked his brains furiously. _Sponsor?_ Sponsor? _Is that a term I should know!_

"That means, I'll show you around and all until you get used to the school. Orientation never works," Garet explained.

"Uh, right. Thanks."

"So, everyone got a seat! Now, let's get down to business. I don't believe in lessons on first days, so let's have a bit of icebreakers today!" Mr Mil said happily, placing himself in the teacher's chair and propping both feet on his table. Several students gasped at the undignified action, but he just grinned.

"Ol' Mil never does anything serious on his first day," Garet whispered. "And he's known for the most unexpected things, like…"

"Let me tell you a ghost story!" Mr Mil yelled suddenly. He grabbed a long wooden ruler and poked it towards the light switches, flicking them off. The classroom did not end up in complete darkness, as early sunlight was flitting in through the windows. Laying the ruler beside his table, Mr Mil placed his elbows on the table and clasped his fingers together.

"Now, there was this mall in the middle of Crystalia. It had an underground carpark, which allowed overnight parking. One night, a man working at the mall was placed in charge of switching off lights and such. Because of that, he was the last to leave. As he went down the elevator to the basement carpark…"

The two periods in Mathematics passed quickly. After three ghost stories, Mr Mil led his students in singing 'Home on the Range'. Then he showed them funny caricatures of several teachers, and ended with balancing a blue whiteboard marker and a duster on his nose.

Many students didn't know whether to cry or laugh, and some did both, but as the bell rang, everyone of them waved goodbye to Mr Mil and went out laughing.

Chuckling at the memory of Mr Mil's face, Isaac began head for the next lesson, Changing. But Garet grabbed his arm in a vice-like grip and dodged into the red toilet.

"We're not having lessons with Mr Davies," he hissed.

"Why…" Isaac broke off. "Because of… the creatures we become…?"

Garet nodded. He peered out.

Just then, someone screamed. Isaac and Garet whirled around, and met with an extremely angry face. A face with brown pigtails and thick glasses.

"M-Marilyn! Heh, sorry about this, we…" Garet stammered.

"BOYS IN THE GIRLS' TOILET!" Marilyn screamed. "OUT! OUT OUT OUT OUT!"

Garet dragged Isaac out with one hand over his ear, wincing. They dashed down the staircase towards the Hall, leaving Marilyn to scream in the toilet.

"Every Changing lesson, we'll work with Master Kraden in here," he explained, gasping. Knocking on the door with three sharp raps, he put his ear to the wood and motioned for Isaac to do the same.

"Creature creature," a low voice muttered.

"Changer changer," Garet replied.

The door opened a crack and Kraden peered out. Seeing Garet's cheery face and Isaac's confused one, he smiled. The door opened wider.

"Come in, come in!" Kraden greeted.

Cautiously, Isaac followed Garet in. Kraden locked the hall doors behind them and leaped nimbly onto the stage. He motioned for Isaac and Garet to do the same.

"Right, Garet, the usual meditation," he instructed. Garet nodded reluctantly and sat down cross-legged in a corner of the stage. Kraden then turned to Isaac. He smiled.

"Now, I want to assess how much control you have over your transformation and how much you know about it. Let's have a little bout, shall we?" he asked. As Isaac nodded, one hand slipped under his shirt. Isaac watched, slightly fascinated, as Kraden shrunk and gained more wrinkles, turning green and sprouting a large, hard shell.

He racked his brains and found the answer as Kraden's new jaws formed. The snapping turtle.

Transform, a voice said solemnly, echoing softly. Isaac jumped.

"One of Kraden's many 'amazing achievements'," Garet called, grinning. "The ability to speak while after changing."

None of that, you! Turtle Kraden yelled. Isaac, please change. 

Gulping, Isaac reached for his own birthmark. He had not tried to change since Briggs attacked him. Closing his eyes and concentrating hard, he began to feel the changes in him. Bones lengthed and strengthened. Scales sprouted from his skin. Blades grew out from both arms.

When Isaac opened his eyes again, he saw the turtle glaring at him. Its jaws were slightly opened, and its eyes were ferocious.

Isaac's blood stirred. This was no longer a lesson, but a fight.

A fight that Isaac wanted to win.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

(1) Suisanday: Equivalent of Wednesday. I can have my own days, can't I? Basically the same though, seven days a week, three hundred and sixty-five a year...

The "Creature creature", "Changer changer" passcode belongs not to me. I got the idea from Digimon 02, the movie Diablomon Strikes Back ("Digi digi" & "Mon mon").

I'm not sure if this is long enough, no page count and no word count in Wordpad. I'm currently using my brother's laptop, which has no microsoft word, as my computer has very happily decided to take a break and stop working. Probably on vacation somewhere...

Is that a cliffhanger or is that a cliffhanger?

Daidairo


	5. More About Changers More Than Fun

Creature Changers

I am seriously trying to post updates quickly. But my computer is STILL crazy, and my mother STILL has not gotten enough sympathy for me to get it repaired. So I have to bear with bits and pieces of typing here and there...

Now, in the previous chapter my marks for creatures' speech did not come up. So, I will be using $ $ to represent that. Also, I'm not sure if anyone noticed, but Felix could talk in his normal voice when he was a centaur. Reason, he still owned a face, a mouth, a voice box... So, anything with a human face can talk in this fic.

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun, Camelot does. Can you imagine Arthur and Guenevere wearing their old English robes, holding a GBA and playing the game? Maybe Merlin came up with the idea... But the Takahashi brothers were the ones... Magic and technology working together? Hmmm...

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

raitei: Hm, yeah, I should have thought of that. This chapter's disclaimer not that good either. I like the djinn too! The Maths teacher Theophilus Mil is actually based on _my_ maths teacher from last year, Mr Lim Seow Cheong. Credits to him! I'm not lying, he _did_ tell ghost stories in class! The one in the previous chapter _was_ told by him! XD Yup, I have a nice, interesting (I hope) battle coming up. Kind of short, I must say, though. Thank you for your support in this fic! Thank you!

crazy-but-fun: Thank you! I'm continuing...!

Princess Viv: I _will_ continue Legend of the Stars. But with my computer unusable (see above) I have lost many of the drafts I did... Right now, I STILL don't know whether to choose mudshipping or valeshipping. As a mudshipping fan, I love Mia/Isaac fics, but I'd like to do valeshipping for a change. Plus there are reviewers asking for valeshipping as well. Most of the time we authors are supposed to write what we want, and not what others want, but... I don't know. I still need to think... Thank you, I like the djinn too! Scroll down to see what happens to Isaac next!

savinglifelessness: Very... small. A snapping turtle is a couple of inches longer than the keyboard of a laptop, and height... always differs because of the shell. I can safely say that it is about the size of a large cushion, and Isaac the dragon is... Not too big. Slightly taller than the average adult human size. Heh, you'd think "Isaac's sure too win!" Well, read on.

person: Thank you! I'm updating!

angel-wings76: Thank you! The idea was derived from a dream where people could turn into animals after planet Venus crashed into Earth... It was a weird dream, and if I tried to tell it I'd take up too much space. 

Kodoku: Eheh... I think I can imagine it. I think my disclaimers are starting to fail. (points above) That one came from watching an amazing and polished production of Camelot by Anglo Chinese Junior College. It was marvellous, and I still remember the magnificent dances and songs from it. So hey, King Arthur and Golden Sun. Why not?

Shiny Milotic: Ooooh! I'm guessing your name is taken from that beautiful, exotic evolution of Feebas? I love Milotic myself! As to Lighthouseshipping... Well, I _might_ have it. I'm pretty keen on Felix/Sheba myself, but like said before, I might want to try a different pairing. It all depends on how the story turns out, really. My other fic 'War of the Elements' has Lighthouseshipping, so you might want to check that out (hints for a review). Of course the others are mythicals, you just wait and see! Unicorns and griffins and phoenixes are in, but manticores... I hadn't thought of that. Might put it in... Thank you!

clover: Thank you, I thought the disclaimer was lousy. And don't envy me. Everyone can write. I'm sure you're improving. I'm trying my best to type in perfect English, but typing errors still appear randomly sometimes... Well, the creature instincts do not take over. Rather they gain the senses of the creature. For example, Isaac as a dragon had all the sharp and alert senses of his creature. Those senses made him suspicious of anything, so Kraden would appear as a foe. Knowing that, and knowing also that it would cause Isaac to fight seriously, Kraden pretended to be the foe. So when a 'challenge' was issued, Isaac knew he wanted to win. Sorta... Heaven knows how to explain what I mean.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 5: More About Changers; More Than Fun

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The turtle stayed where it was, eyes focused on its opponent. The dragon growled quietly, watching its foe just as suspiciously. Slowly, it moved, circling the small amphibian.

Kraden lifted one foot and stepped towards Isaac. Instantly, the younger changer reacted, swiftly moving to the other side of Kraden. Raising several claws, he attempted to slice the turtle. But just as quickly, Kraden moved out of the way. Isaac staggered forward with his own force, but thought fast and spun into a somersault, bringing his tail down with as much force as he could. Kraden again jumped neatly out of the way, moving with surprising agility. His neck reached out and bit into hard, glistening scales.

Isaac howled with pain, and the sound echoed around the large hall. He staggered to his feet and glared at Kraden. The bite had only caused pain, rather than injury, but Isaac was still pissed. Lunging forward, he swiped at Kraden with right claws. Kraden dodged back and to the right. Isaac smiled to himself, and countered back with the long blade on his elbow. He swiped it back towards the right immediately, not giving Kraden time to regain his balance and avoid the attack.

Caught unaware, Kraden withdrew into his shell and allowed himself to be slashed at. Isaac's blade added a cut to his shell, and he was momentarily paralysed by the impact, but otherwise unharmed. Sticking his body out again, Kraden grinned at the frustrated look on the dragon's face.

Isaac flew forward again, intent on knocking the turtle out of its shell. Kraden scuttled under his feet to the back, then opened his mouth and stuck out a long, slimy tongue. It wrapped around Isaac's foot and prevented him from moving. Isaac tripped and fell flat on his face with a yell. With a thump, Kraden jumped onto his back.

$I think this match is over,$ Kraden said, chuckling. Breathing heavily, Isaac nodded. Kraden climbed off and changed back to his usual white haired self. Taking deep breaths, Isaac willed himself to change back. Slowly, his senses dulled and he felt himself shrinking. His scales melted away to reveal human skin. The blades on his body retracted. Quietly, he looked up.

Kraden smiled. "That was exellent, Isaac. Are you sure you haven't done it before?" 

Isaac shook his head silently. In the end, he still lost.

As if he could read minds, Kraden patted him on the shoulder. "You've done very well for a beginner. Most don't even know what they have. You adapted to your dragon form quickly, and instead of just using your claws and teeth, you could wield your tail and elbow blades as weapons as well. If that isn't called good I don't know what is."

Isaac gave a half-grin. He heard cheers and applause behind him when Kraden finished. Startled, he turned.

Garet was giving extremely enthusiastic applause, grinning excitedly.

"Knew you could do it! Great job!" he yelled. Isaac smiled. He turned to the person beside Garet and froze. 

It was Piers.

"Well, looks like all three of you have Changing classes on Suisanday together," Kraden said cheerfully. "Isaac, this is Piers Mercury. Piers, this is Isaac Gaia."

"We've already met," Piers said in his clear voice. He was eyeing Isaac with much interest. "Garet got lost with him yesterday."

"I did not!" Garet exclaimed hotly. Kraden laughed.

"Well, seeing that both of you have wasted about twenty minutes watching Isaac and me, perhaps you'd like to get down to work now," he said. Piers and Garet nodded. They sat down with their feet together and closed their eyes. Kraden then turned to Isaac.

"Now, I'd like to start you on the basic theory lesson for Changers. Please have a seat," he said, settling down on the stage as well. Isaac sat down. "First of all, the Changer Rules. Rule number one, no abusing of your special powers. Rule number two, you must be responsible for whatever damage you cause to property that does not belong to you. Rule number three, never use your Changing powers against normal people unless you have an extremely valid reason, and even so it's best not to do anything. For one it would be like shooting an unarmed man. For another it would give the normal people reason to hate us. We do not want a war between changers and the rest of the world. Got that?"

Isaac nodded. He remembered seeing the similar sentences in the school diary.

"Now, you must remember to stay away from coke," Kraden said, his face perfectly straight.

"...! Why?" Isaac looked incredulous. He never really liked coke, but neither did he have a grudge against it.

"Because 100g of coke will stop you from changing for a whole hour. I doubt you'd want that," Kraden said seriously. "Scientists are still trying to find out why. But for now, unless you don't mind being stuck as a human, stay away from coke."

The way Kraden was speaking, it was as if he liked changing. Again, Isaac could not understand. He felt nothing for it, felt nothing against it. It was just something he could do.

"I won't touch coke," he promised.

"Good. Next thing," Kraden's hand went to his stomach. "Never let anyone touch your birthmark."

"Why?" Isaac asked again. His own hand instinctinvely reached for the mark beneath his collar.

Kraden sighed softly. "It's one irritating trait of us all. If our birthmark is harshly attacked when we're human, we will be paralysed for about fifteen minutes. Needless to say, during that period, we will be unable to change. If stabbed through the birthmark... it could be fatal. We haven't tried anything yet."

Isaac gulped. He thought thankfully about the golden yellow scarf he always wore when not in school uniform. It hid his birthmark, and the collar of the uniform did the same.

"Also, when you are in creature form, your birthmark will remain. Much smaller, but still there. If touched, however gently, on the direct spot when you're in creature form, you will change back instantly and be paralysed. So always be careful who you show your birthmark to. Seeing as you have to touch it lightly when you change, try to keep the exact spot out of side and keep yourself away from your opponent. Understand?"

Isaac nodded again. He hadn't known that Changers had these weak spots. Again, he felt grateful for his scarf, remembering several tumbles in his life that could have struck his birthmark. The scarf had acted as a protector more than once. Isaac made up his mind to always treat it with respect and care from then on.

"Now. To change, Changers need energy. Pretend that changing is like running. Without energy, we cannot run. Same goes for changing. Let me give you an example. Mr Changer has ten points of energy. Changing from human to creature will take about one point of energy. If Mr Changer stays in his creature form, his points of energy will deplete a little faster than if he stays in human. When he changes back to human, he'll use about one point of energy," Kraden paused and looked at Isaac.

"What happens if Mr Changer does not change back until all ten points are gone?" Isaac asked.

"When energy points reach zero, the changer's body will protest and automatically change back. If the Changer attempts to change back into creature form, the body might try to hold out for a few more minutes," Kraden replied softly. "After that, the changer might get stuck between human and creature form. Best result, he turns back to human automatically and earns a few animal attributes. Worst result, he stays as the creature permanantly."

Isaac was horrified. He had no idea that the power of a changer could be a curse.

"However amazing the animal is, I don't think anyone wants to get stuck," Kraden said, giving a forced smile. "Even those that purposely do it regret it later on. There is no way to change back. So take my advice: Always change back to human to rest if you feel tired. Even if your mind can take it, if your body can't, don't force it. This is extremely important. Do you understand?"

Isaac nodded silently. Kraden relaxed.

"Now, those are the most important ground rules. If you stick to that, you won't go wrong. And Changing is fun, seriously," he said, smiling. "Now, relax. Don't look so stiff. You'll now go through the same procedure as Garet and Piers. Close your eyes and relax. Take deep breaths. Clear your mind."

Isaac tried to do as instructed. With the fresh information about changers still swimming in his head, however, it was difficult to clear them.

"Relax. Think of nothing. Meditation will help you store and conserve your energy for change," Kraden said calmly. Isaac sensed the teacher leave quietly.

"Garet, Piers, your turn. I want to see how much energy your can conserve. Remember the previous lesson?"

Isaac tried not to listen, tried to focus on not focusing.

_Don't think of anything. Keep your mind blank. Don't think of anything. Keep your blank mind. Think of anything. Don't..._

"All right, that's it for today," Kraden said cheerfully, shaking him on the shoulder. Isaac looked up, startled. Glancing at the grandfather clock near the stage, he was amazed to see that twenty-five minutes had passed since he started meditating. Hastily, he picked up his sling bag as the bell went, ringing clearly and brightly.

"See you!" Garet said enthusiastically, waving at Piers and Kraden. Turning to Isaac, he asked, "What's the next lesson?"

"Geography, taken by Mr Christopher Quertz," Isaac replied, glancing at his timetable.

"Oh. Mr Quertz is nice," Garet said in relief. "He takes the Soccer Club."

"What clubs are there in this school?" Isaac asked. In his previous school, he had taken up basketball. Would be nice to play without your team members ignoring you...

"Well, there's Soccer, obviously. Basketball as well," Garet led the way to the wide staircase that was becoming increasingly familiar to Isaac. "There's the Dance Club, Choir, Drama Club... what else... Archery, Media Club and Health Club. In here."

They turned into the third classroom on the third floor. A tanned, well-built man stood writing on the board. He wore an indigo T-shirt and black shorts with matching indigo and black spike shoes.

"Mr Mars, where're the rest of your class?" he asked, continuing to write on the board.

"Somewhere behind," Garet said discontentedly. "How come you can always tell when I'm around?"

"Because." Mr Quertz said, putting a full-stop at the end of his sentence. He turned, then looked curious. "And who are you, Mr Toothpick?"

Isaac felt extremely indignant.

"This is Isaac Gaia. New student," Garet said fiercely. "And he's not a toothpick, he fights good."

"You mean, he fights well." Mr Quertz corrected, continuing to observe Isaac from the corner of his eye. Satisfied with the serious, responsible look, he smiled. "Go sit down in a nice, good seat before the others quarrel with you for it."

Garet whooped. Grabbing Isaac by one hand, he threw him into a chair right at the back and sat down beside him. "Thanks, Mr Quertz!"

The rest of the class soon appeared, chattering loudly. Geography lesson went on pretty normal, with normal teaching methods by a fairly normal teacher. Rachel and Joash Goldring joined them for the simple project they had to do on water conservation. Nothing was said about Isaac and Garet being mythicals, and Isaac quickly observed that Rachel was a cheery, bright and sensible girl. Joash was nearly opposite, never serious and always cracking lame jokes under his breath so that teachers would not hear.

As the bell rang, Garet threw his books into the air enthusiastically.

"BREAK!" he yelled happily, grabbing his bag. "Come on, Isaac!"

The two boys squeezed their way through the class and towards the staircase. 

"Where are we going?" Isaac yelled over the noise of the crowds.

"Locker!" Garet yelled back. "Miss Malvonite's classroom!"

They continued squeezing their way down to the second floor, then reached for the sixth classroom. Metal lockers stood outside as usual.

"Index number?" Garet asked, twirling the numbers on his new locker, labelled '17'. 

"Seven, Dave said," Isaac replied, reading through the instructions rapidly. Opening his new locker, which was above Garet's, he entered a new combination. _Two... five... one._

"Right. There's no need for Geography, Maths or Changing anymore..." Garet dumped a pile of books in the locker. "After break there's only history... Bother."

Isaac arranged his books neatly in the locker before he closed and locked it. Garet slammed _his_ locker with a bang and locked it.

"Right, let's go," Garet said, lifting his much smaller school bag.

"Now where are we going?" Isaac asked."Canteen. It's break, and I'm starving!" Garet said. Isaac shook his head and laughed. They went down two flights of stairs to see familiar blue doors. As they entered, Isaac noticed that the different shops all had different numbers of students waiting in line. They chose what food they wanted from the shops.

"Back in my old school, we couldn't choose our food," Isaac remarked, grabbing a sandwich off a shop with no line. Smiling at the old shop woman, he stepped out of the queue for Garet to pile a plate with noodles, fish, egg and nuggets.

"Ehhh? That's sad!" Garet said, grabbing plastic fork, spoon and knife. He led the way to a round table at the side. Isaac recognised Piers' long blue braid. He was sitting next to a girl with long red hair.

"Not really," Isaac said, stopping uncertainly as Garet sat down with his plate. Piers turned and smiled.

"Isaac. Won't you sit down?"

The girl turned and froze.

"It's you!" she exclaimed, then grinned. "I didn't believe you when you said dragon... You've got a mythical, haven't you?" 

"Yeah. Jenna, isn't it?" Isaac recalled, grinning back. He sat down on the other seat of the round table.

"Whoa. Do you know all the people in this school who are mythicals?" Garet asked, shoving a piece of egg into his mouth.

"He doesn't know Felix," Piers objected.

"Yes, I do," Isaac said. "He whacked Briggs."

Jenna snorted, sending orange juice out of her nose and over Piers.

"My brother did WHAT?"

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Not a very long chapter, and quite pointless except to go through the normal school life. Hope you've enjoyed it!

Daidairo


	6. Kindness Repaid by Voices

Creature Changers

Well, I like updating quickly too. But that's not so possible nowadays, with my computer _still_ 'MIA'. Using my brother's laptop helps me to continue typing properly, as I can't use MSN on that, can't play my games… I suppose that would speed up updates too. Sort of.

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun. I do own Blue Moon. Or rather, Blue Moon Farm from Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town. Might as well say I own Harvest Moon. But I don't… This is out of point again. Please ignore.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

raitei: Eheheh… I won't promise continuous fast updates. I wanted to do the school, but I was afraid that readers might not be interested, what with the genre being action and all. Kraden as a turtle is believable. I mean, turtles always look so old and wise, and Kraden _is_ old and wise (though a bit eccentric). This is a spoiler, but since most people have already guessed, the main GS cast are mythicals. Yup, Mr Lim is chinese (I _do_ live in Singapore) and I'm chinese myself. Loved to have him last year, but this year I got someone else. Thank you for your support!

Princess Viv: Ahahahha! I thought of that last minute. Poor poor Piers. Yes, I'm striving for light-heartedness, but the more I write the more serious it's becoming… Thank you for your sympathy, I hope it gets fixed soon too. Sadly yeah, reviewers tend to review only fics they like. Thank you for the compliments, and I'll try to update again soon! …Or maybe I should do both Mudshipping and Valeshipping… receives stares What? I'm not thinking of making Isaac a two-timer, don't worry! …Hmm…

crazy-but-fun: Thank you! I'll definitely continue this one!

savinglifelessness: XD I love most stories I read too! Or rather, I love nearly all books. Can't say the same for fanfics… or maybe I just choose the wrong fics… Thank you!

Shiny Milotic: You still haven't told me if you were previously a Feebas! Well. Felix isn't so much in trouble. And something else that part is supposed to emphasize is that Felix and Jenna are siblings. Then again, most Golden Sun players would expect that even from an AU. Hey, having you nagging wouldn't be so bad, means I get a review for every chapter, right? grins evilly, then goes back to normal Just kidding. In the beginning it might actually seem like windshipping, but I probably won't do it, since I see no reasoning in windshipping. Depends, but Felix/Sheba still rocks! I suppose if I want War of the Elements and Legend of the Stars reviewed, I'd have to do lighthouseshipping… That's not blackmail, it's bribery! XD

Malteser99: Thank you! I'll keep on writing!

Kodoku: Jenna is a XXXXXX. You'll have to read to find out! Heh heh, orange juice was last minute. Random indeed, but I did like that production of Camelot… ACJC, you rock!

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 6: Kindness Repaid by Voices

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Jenna stared at Isaac in shock, who stared back in amazement.

"Felix is your brother?" he asked.

"Never mind about that, what about him whacking Briggs Kaek?" Jenna asked impatiently.

"Well… Briggs and two of his friends tried to start a fight," Isaac explained. "Felix managed to scare them off with his hooves."

"Oh boy. He'll be in trouble if Briggs reports," Piers sighed, wiping his face with a piece of tissue.

"Trust me, he'll be in even more trouble now that Jenna knows," Garet muttered darkly. All three boys stared at Jenna, who was staring at her half empty plate, fuming.

She stood up suddenly, knocking over her glass of juice. The remainder splashed onto her toast. Flinging her school bag over one shoulder, she marched out of the canteen.

Piers dumped the tissue onto his plate, put that on Jenna's, put both on Isaac's empty one, then piled everything on Garet.

"Isaac, quick! We've got to stop the two of them!" he yelled, darting between the crowd and racing for the canteen doors.

Isaac eyed Garet and the pile of towering plates. Garet balanced the plates unsteadily as he piled glasses on top.

"Go on!" he yelled, hopping backwards. Isaac nodded and rushed after Piers. As the two squeezed out, they heard several loud, resounding crashes and a loud "Yikes!"

"Oh no…" Piers groaned, darting towards the staircase. "Garet lost his touch! Come on, Isaac!"

"But Garet…"

"He'll manage. Quick!" They flew up the staircase to the fourth floor. As they cleared the last step on the flight, another din was heard.

"How could you…" BAM! BAM! "… have been…" BAMBAM! THUD! "… SO RECKLESS!" CRASH!

Stiff with fear, Isaac and Piers turned slowly. Outside the library, Felix lay against a brown table with several encyclopedias on top of him and a broken vase beside him. In front of him, Jenna was standing with both hands on her hips, panting.

"You don't understand, I was…"

"You could have been reported, you could have been KILLED, you…"

"He's just a gorilla, he won't…"

"That's not the POINT!" Jenna picked up a dictionary and flung it at Felix, who dodged and winced as the book slammed into the table. Hard. The spectators in the library were peering out with much interest, and cheered when Jenna raised a large porcelain flowerpot.

"Oh no!" Piers ran towards Felix and pulled him out from underneath the heavy books. Isaac held Jenna back with one hand and kept the other on the flowerpot.

"Jenna, wait! Don't just jump to conclusions!" he pleaded. "This was all my fault, I was the one being targeted and I should have been the one fighting!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah! If it weren't for Felix I'd have been the one fighting! And… I'm not too experienced at it so…" Isaac looked away and sighed. "Don't blame Felix. Please."

Everyone held their breaths as they watched Jenna. Slowly, she lowered the flowerpot. Pushing Isaac gently aside, she walked over to Felix, who was leaning against Piers.

"Don't. Do. That. Again," she said quietly, looking him in the eye. "Understand?"

Felix stared straight back at her. "Jenna, you know me. If anything like that happened again, I'd do it again."

Jenna sighed. "Yes, I do know. Fine, but I'm going to kill you when that happens." She hugged her brother.

"Somehow I doubt if it'll be Isaac," Piers muttered. He looked sideways at Isaac. "If I trust my instincts, that boy won't need any more protection."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Afternoon!" Agatio barked.

"Good afternoon, Sir!"

"Sit." Agatio scanned the classroom. He frowned as his eyes landed on Isaac.

Isaac gulped. Agatio would know by then that his creature was a mythical.

"What are you waiting for? Take out your books!" Agatio barked. "We will be starting on Chapter One today!"

His class scuttled to grab their books.

"Remember to get a notebook for taking notes," Dave mumbled. "Mr Char wants us to take down _everything_ he says."

"Which is why we always take down a lot of crap and rubbish," Garet muttered.

Isaac snorted. As Agatio's fierce, dark eyes turned on him, he hastily changed it into a cough.

"Mr Gaia! You think my history lesson is a joke?" he demanded.

"No, sir."

"Stand up when I'm talking to you!"

Isaac stood up. For some reason, he felt like Agatio was picking on him.

"Who ruled Tolbi during the Jade Wars?" Agatio asked.

"King Jonathan," Isaac replied quietly. _Don't lose the temper, good temper, don't run away… don't get lost… Keep it…_

"And what was the cause of the Jade Wars?"

"Tolbi, Vale and Kolima were competing to see who had the best piece of jade. There was a superstition about jades, saying that the person holding the biggest and purest piece would be ruler of the world. So they began to fight over their pieces of jade," Isaac replied.

"Sit down." Agatio could find nothing wrong with Isaac's explanation.

"He's picking on you!" Garet whispered furiously.

"I know. But he's a teacher," Isaac whispered back.

"No talking! Open your books to page eight!"

"Bah. I prefer Miss Bolloska from last year."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Do page five to fifteen of your workbook by the next lesson! Dismissed!" Agatio shouted.

Talking furiously and complaining loudly, 9A filed out of the classroom.

"That is a LOT of work!" Garet groaned. "I'm no good at History!"

"History is okay," Isaac said. "It's the dates that get me."

"Dates..." Garet thumped up the staircase. "Are..." he flung down his school bag outside Miss Malvonite's classroom. "Evil!" He punched his locker.

"Calm down! That's _my_ locker you're punching!" Isaac yelled hastily, seeing a dent appear on the metal. "Yours is below!"

"So it is." Garet opened his locker and sighed. "How am I going to finish this?"

"Well, you just have to start early," Isaac said. He ran through the homework he had to do in his mind. "Hm, there's nothing we need to pass up by tomorrow."

"Really? No history tomorrow? Then history can wait!" Garet whooped.

"But it's a lot. You should really start now..."

"See ya!" Garet slammed his locker shut and ran out. Isaac shook his head, amused.

He left the school and began to head home. He knew Crystalia pretty well by then, and needed no map to get around.

Remembering Dora's instructions to 'buy some bread before you head home', he turned the corner and walked towards the brightly painted bakery.

It was a fairly large shop, with different buns and cakes in the display window. Arranged around the shelves in the shop were the products to be sold. Removable plastic covers helped to keep the food warm.

"May I help you?" the baker asked good-naturedly. She was rather like a bun herself; fat, round and soft looking. Isaac wondered if she would taste good, then knocked himself on the head for being an ass.

"I'd like a roll of Barnaby's Bread," he replied. _She's not a bun! Don't be impolite!_

"Right here!" The woman placed a package in front of him. "Is this what you want?"

Isaac nodded and paid for the bread. Nodding goodbye, he walked out of the shop, whistling.

"Noooooooooooo! Don't touch her!"

Isaac froze. He turned and ran. Looking around wildly, he headed in the direction of the scream.

He came to a stop at a children's playground. The source of the shrill voice was a small girl. She was holding a tiny Pekinese not much bigger than her. The sources of her fright were three boys standing in front of her. With them was an extremely large Alsatian.

"Edward just wants to play," one of the boys said sneeringly. "Go on, leave the dog. You can go home if you do."

"No! Pandora is mine!"

"Pandora wants to play with Edward, see?"

The Alsatian growled, baring rows of teeth. The little girl shuddered.

"Leave me alone!" she called imploringly. "I'll call my mummy!"

"You call her and Pandora is as good as dead," another one of the boys said threateningly.

"This is a waste of time. Just tell Edward to get the dog. We'll sell her off at the black market. Ignore the girl," the third boy said.

"NO! You can't take Pandora! MUMMY!" the girl screamed.

"EDWARD! GO!"

Edward leaped, landing heavily in front of the girl. Snarling, he reached for Pandora. The girl cried even louder and held Pandora away. Edward changed his mind and aimed his teeth for the girl's arm.

"That's it! Make her drop the dog!"

Edward lunged. Before he could sink his teeth into the girl, he was knocked off in midair and he landed on the concrete ground with a thump. Getting to his feet, he growled at the obstacle that had blocked his attack.

Bright blue eyes glared back. Forgetting he could not talk, Isaac attempted to tell the bullies off. It came out as a loud, shrill cry, of course.

"A _dragon_!"

"E-E-Edward... G-Go!"

Edward leaped. Isaac knocked him away again, slashing him slightly on the nose. Edward howled and bounded off as fast as he could go.

The three boys howled as well. If a dog couldn't win, three boys couldn't. They ran off as well, tripping over each other.

Isaac turned to the little girl. She was looking at him with wide fearful eyes.

"Go away!" she cried. "MUMMY, HELP!"

Surprised and somewhat hurt, Isaac tried to explain. Before anything more than a cry came out, a woman in ridiculously high heels ran out and hugged the girl.

"What... what are you? Go away! I'll call the police!" she screamed. Anyone could see that her daughter had inherited her screaming talent.

Calming himself down, Isaac changed back. The girl screamed even louder. Her mother was too shocked to scream anymore. Her dropped jaw released no sound.

"I was just trying to help," Isaac explained. "Really. She was being bullied by some boys, you see."

He took a step forward. The woman found her voice.

"_You're a Changer!_" she screamed. "GET AWAY FROM US!"

Isaac moved back. Dropping his head, he sighed. He collected his bag quietly from the bench nearby and headed home.

He hadn't meant to frighten the girl. He just thought that the dog could be taken care off. But seeing her bullies run off had caused her even more anxiety.

"What now?"

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Not much of a cliffhanger or an ending this time. Yes the disclaimer is lame, I'm running out of inspiration and energy. I'm so tired I could scream myself.


	7. Training Those Toughies

Creature Changers

I have such a lot of reviewers this time round. Love you, readers, keep commenting so I can improve too!

Also… MY COMPUTER IS BACK! WAHAHAHAHAHHA!... I managed to keep a great deal of my data, but several folders and all my programs are gone, so I have to find sometime to redownload stuff. As well as BACK UP ALL MY FILES. XX

Now, you might think 'Valeshipping!' after reading this chapter, but then you'd be WRONG. I'm _still_ not sure what to do, and the so-called 'hints' in this chapter are just added because it went that way when I was writing. I'm letting the story flow on its own.

Disclaimer: Dis disclaimer same as de previous. Don't diss dose disclaimers.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

crazy-but-fun: Thank you! ...Must keep going...

Kodoku: ACJC is the shortened name for Anglo Chinese Junior College, the school that put up a production of Camelot. I thought I mentioned it somewhere before... Seems I haven't. Yes, the disclaimer is way too random to be funny. I hope your computer will be out of 'MIA' mode soon. Thank you for all your support! P.S I say eh all the time and I'm not Canadian, rather I take my ehs from the Japanese. Nice to see that people all over the world like my fic!

raitei: Poor poor Felix. But he's probably used to it. Why can't Agatio be a History teacher? In my opinion he's okay at that. He got students to torture! ...Ahem. Anyway, yeah, woe betide those who don't do his homework. Now, do you think Garet will do it? No, you're not weird. I think changers and dragons are cute too. But who knows what they might look like in real life? You have to think on that, really. The others are coming up okay, though one is amazingly unpredictable and not _really_ a creature, so I don't know what possessed me to do it. Thank you for your support!

savinglifelessness: Yeah, poor Isaac. (pats) Isaac _was_ from Vale in this story, but he moved. Thank you for the review!

Princess Viv: Wait a minute. You like cliffhangers? But others don't… Man, it's a difficult world. I sort of see Jenna as the explosive sort, though she really does care deeply. Which was why I made her yell at Felix. Wonder if that was IC? I also had the idea of not choosing. Like… Just before Isaac chooses, I end the story, and let the readers draw their own conclusion. But that would be evil, not to mention people would hate me for it. Or maybe I'll do alternate endings, one for Valeshipping and one for Mudshipping, and the readers can read whichever they like. That idea only _just_ popped into my head; forgive me if it's dumb. But hey, it's a solution. I never knew you played the piano! What grade?

lunarwolvesshadow: Thank you for both reviews! Isaac is cool all right. Being _the_ main character I have to let him be a good one, no? You seem to like laughing at Felix and Jenna. (senses evil)

hj: A Valeshipping vote! You know, it'd work better if you gave a REASON as to why Isaac/Jenna, no?

SpasticDjinn: I used to watch Fruits Basket, but I went off it after I decided it was too stupid, sorry. The characters were just too fake, their personalities didn't make sense at all. Especially Tohru. And well… The Furuba characters don't fight. And they have no school. And I'd like to think that Isaac and the others actually have decent and believable personalities. If you like Furuba, sorry. It's not my cup of tea, but I respect your liking.

Shiny Milotic: Yes, my War of the Elements and Legend of the Stars have lighthouseshipping. Actually I can't see Jenna as a wyvern, because in old legends wyverns are mostly sly and thieving, and are known to invade the territories of others if their own is unusable. So I have Jenna as a XXXXXXX. Why has no one asked about Sheba and Ivan, yet everyone wants to know what Jenna is?

hope: Ehhh? I didn't review your review? I'm sorry! (bows) Yes, I know I should 'chill' but I have so much to do… I'm playing FF8 again you see. And Super Smash Bros Melee with my brother. And I have this fic, and I have school work, and I have to update my computer…

a MErcury adept: Yes the others will show up. Complain? What does Isaac have to complain about? He's too nice to really complain by the way. He's the type to keep everything in.

Ponie: That's all right. I use the review count as a 'people who enter and read' count. Because hit count can mean people who click and don't read. So if you read, just post a "I read", is that okay?

…Look at my responses. I talk too much.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 7: Training Those Toughies

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Good morning, class!"

"Good morning, Miss Malvonite!" 9A chanted obediently. The classroom was arranged in rows of two, and was squeaky clean. No posters, no message boards, no graffiti. It looked pretty much like a hospital room with tables and chairs and a white board.

"We will be continuing on the study of literary devices. Who can tell me the ones you have already learnt?"

"Alliteration, personification and similes," Rachel piped up confidently with her hand waving in the air.

"That's right. This term, we will be working on metaphors," Miss Malvonite wrote the word 'metaphor' on the board in big blue letters with a neat, well controlled hand. The letters looked as if it was printed.

Isaac sighed. VEES had already taught them metaphors. They didn't have Changing, so their syllables were faster.

The difference made him think about the incident the previous day. Recalling the frightened face of the girl and her mother, he felt upset. He had only tried to help. Would it have been better if he had not transformed?

No. Isaac had enough common sense in him to know that, regardless of courage, charging headlong at a big Alsatian would only get him bitten. Three tall owners would also be against him.

"Mr Gaia! Since I see you daydreaming, I presume you already know what metaphors are," Miss Malvonite said with a smile, whereas her voice had an icy tone to it.

Isaac stood up. "Metophors are like similes, comparing something to another but without the use of words like 'as' and 'like'."

"…Sit down. Even if you know what metaphors are, it would do you good to still pay attention and revise what you have learnt," Miss Malvonite said quietly. _So he's the new student… from the other school. _

Isaac sat down. He could hear the other students giggling at him, and knew that he was not starting well. Garet looked at him sympathetically.

"Bad luck, man."

"Mr Mars, do you also know what metaphors are?"

"No, Miss Malvonite! I'm paying attention!"

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"I am Royce Alentia, your Design and Technology teacher. This term we will be doing woodwork."

Isaac observed the teacher quietly. He looked rather young, with the exception of greyish blue hair. His skin was pale, but at a second glance it looked nearly grey-blue as well. His eyes were brown, contrasting sharply with the rest of his body. Isaac wondered if he, like Agatio, had been nearly trapped in creature form.

"We will be working with soft wood, and you will be allowed to use the tools from this workshop. If anyone has a beaver animal, you are welcome to use it too. Your practical task will be to make a pencil holder with a figurine of a creature. It can either be your creature, or a random other," Mr Alentia continued.

Excited murmurs burst out as usual. Isaac felt relieved that Mr Alentia had mentioned a 'random other'. A dragon would be acceptable as a random other. As Mr Alentia gave out pieces of wood to work with, he winked at Garet and spoke in a low voice.

"You can have your mythical, but don't put your own face on it."

"He knows?" Isaac asked in amazement.

"Uh huh. Some of the teachers do, you see," Garet replied in a low voice. Isaac stared at his piece of wood, when another thought struck him.

"He said don't put your face on it. What _do_ you transform into?" Isaac asked.

To his surprise, Garet turned away.

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm not sure what you call it... You'll see," was the strange answer.

Isaac knew he couldn't probe. _If he wants to tell me, he will. I have no reason to force him to say what he does not want to._ But that did not stop him from being curious.

As he began marking out the shape of a dragon on his piece of wood, he had to constantly stop himself from trying to peep at what Garet was drawing. Engrossed in trying to concentrate on his wood, he did not notice Mr Alentia until he was directly behind him.

"Interesting," he said. Isaac jumped. "It looks like a dragon to me."

His brown eyes eyed Isaac. He smiled. "Never mind."

He then went over to Garet. Isaac was pretty sure that Mr Alentia wanted to know if he, like Garet, had a mythical creature.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Isaac opened his locker and carefully arranged his books inside. As usual, Garet just threw everything in before he rummaged for the books he needed. "What do we have after break?"

"Changing and English," Garet answered. "Hope Kraden doesn't give me theory today. I don't want theory today."

"What kind of theory is there for Changing?" Isaac asked.

"Um, like your lesson yesterday?" Garet slammed his locker. "Like how many points of energy should always be conserved and so on, the calculation of energy point per second thing... Pretty much a mixture of stuff."

"Is it complicated?" Isaac asked, picking up his bag.

"Nope. Actually yes, but I rarely care. I pass my practical by sensing with my body, rather than calculating."

Isaac grinned. He looked at his indigo digital watch. "We still have about half an hour of break. What should we do?"

"Hm... What time is it now?"

"11.10."

"All right. Felix is having Changing now. Let's go watch him!" Garet said enthusiastically. "Race you to the hall!"

He dashed off. Isaac raced after him, protesting.

"If Felix is working, we shouldn't disturb him!"

"Naw, he'll perform even better if we're there! He'll want to show off!" Garet said at once.

Somehow Isaac did not think Felix liked to 'show off'. They reached the hall and Garet knocked.

"Creature creature," Kraden's voice came out.

"Changer changer," Isaac and Garet whispered simultaneously. The door opened and Kraden poked his head out.

"Garet! Felix is having_ lessons_," he hissed.

"Isaac is here too!" Garet protested loudly.

"I know you put him up to it. Forget it. Come in."

Chuckling, Isaac entered. Grumbling, Garet followed. (A/N: Poor, poor Garet. I didn't mean it.)

They saw Felix in his nice, big centaur form, running his hand lightly over a large boulder the size of a large television. He looked up.

"Oh. It's you guys."

"What are you doing?" Isaac asked interestedly.

"Strength training," Kraden closed and locked the hall door. "Now, you two keep out of the way!"

He shrunk into his snapping turtle. Moving to the boulder, he placed one forefoot underneath the boulder. Felix took several large steps back and crouched slightly.

Without warning, Kraden pitched the large boulder forward. Felix reared up on his hind legs, a fierce determination flashing in his dark eyes.

Fascinated, the other two watched in awe as one hoof hit the boulder. It shattered into tiny pieces. Immediately, another boulder came flying. Felix raced swiftly to the other end and attacked the boulder. This time, it broke into bigger blocks.

Kraden changed back and shook his head. "No, Felix. Concentrate. You got it right the first time, but then you lose your concentration on the second. You need to focus your COA on the direct MP of the boulder."

Felix nodded. Isaac looked blank.

"What was that?"

"Uh, changing terms. Like in science, you have photosynthesis and DNA? And in Maths, we have algebra and alternate angles?" Garet sounded bored. "You know, the usual. Theory."

"So that's what we learn in theory?" Isaac hadn't really known what to expect other than the points of energy that Kraden had explained.

"Take a rest, Felix. Then we'll have one last shot for today. Okay?" Kraden said. Felix nodded and changed back.

"That was great!" Garet yelled, jumping up. "I can't shatter boulders like that if I tried."

"Of course." Felix pretended to look modest. Garet stopped jumping and scowled.

"Oh, I hate it when you say stuff like that. We all know you're good, but let me tell you, in a few years time I'll be better than you!" he said firmly.

"And in that few years I would improve too. Garet, there's a gap of a year between us. Not to mention the fact that you hate working."

"I do _not_. I work when it comes to Changing," Garet argued.

"Then how about just saying that Felix is good?" Kraden suggested. "He can understand things easily and really seems to have a thing for Changing."

Isaac could see the pride shining in Kraden's old, dull eyes. (A/N: Irony here... Kraden's eyes can't shine actually.)

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Felix is your star pupil, the orange of your eye..." Garet droned.

"Apple. I personally dislike oranges," Kraden interrupted. "And teachers do not have favourites. And there'll always be newer students who can become better."

Felix turned to stare at his teacher. "And that would be?"

"Oh, I don't think you know him yet," Kraden said, smiling mysteriously. "He's in the 7th grade. Has a mythical too. And he's pretty talented like you."

"Indeed."

"Felix is jealous! Felix is jealous!" Garet chanted irritatingly. Felix snapped his head round to glare at Garet, whipping Kraden with his ponytail in the process. (A/N: Anyone who's experienced a long haired person who turns his or her head VERY fast will tell you that it hurts. I myself use my hair as a weapon)

"I. Am. Not."

"Felix is jealous, Felix is... OWOWOWOWOWOWW!"

Isaac couldn't keep it in anymore. He laughed. Felix had changed and pinned Garet to the wall with both amazingly strengthened arms.

"That's quite enough, Felix," Kraden said, looking amused. Isaac knew that if he could, he would have roared too. "Let us get back to our lesson."

Felix allowed Garet to move. The latter collapsed on the floor with another ow.

"Felix?"

"Hm?"

"Are you really jealous?"

Isaac burst into uncontrollable laughter again as Kraden received a rain of rocks.

"Enough! Enough! The bell is going to ring soon! This lesson is over!" Kraden gasped, shielding himself with both hands. Felix scowled and changed back.

"We'll continue the lesson tomorrow."

He stomped out of the hall. Isaac and Garet stared at the closed door, then started chuckling again. Kraden smiled wryly.

"All right. It's your lesson now. Garet, meditation."

Garet nodded and sat down, still snorting.

"Meditation means, no laughing," Kraden pointed out sternly. He turned to Isaac, then frowned slightly. Lowering his voice, he beckoned to a corner. "I need to speak with you."

Baffled, Isaac followed him into a corner. Kraden stared at his student seriously for a while.

"What's wrong?" Isaac asked nervously.

"I've heard about a certain street fight yersterday," Kraden finally spoke. "A dog was seen fighting with a dragon."

Isaac froze. "Um... I was... trying to help?" he said. Kraden sighed.

"I don't doubt it. But I can't say the same for Mrs Oleander, Kelly Oleander and three young boys from the house of Andrews."

"But... I was trying to _help_ that little girl!"

"Kelly Oleander saw you as a scary monster, not a rescuer. Now, please don't get worked up. Listen to me," Kraden said carefully. "Whatever your intentions, what the Andrewses saw was a 'weird demon' attacking their dog and nearly going after them."

"I did not..."

"What the Oleanders saw was a 'big monster' coming out of nowhere, then admitting he was a changer. A... 'terrible freak'."

Isaac fell silent. He had known that the lady was a changer hater as soon as she had yelled.

"They complained. The headmaster got to hear about it, and told me to warn you. Listen carefully, Isaac. On no account are you to change in public at all, even if it is to help someone. Humans just don't appreciate our abilities. They think of us as... mutants. Monsters. Devils. Do you remember what I said on the first day of school? Using changing abilities against a normal human is the worst thing someone can do. It's like attacking a defenceless person."

"... I guess... I never thought of it that way," Isaac said slowly. He sighed. "I'm sorry."

"As long as you understand, it's fine. So, no changing outside school unless absolutely, and I mean _absolutely_, neccessary. Okay?"

"Not even at home?" Isaac thought guiltily of the firewood he had 'chopped' easily, sitting in the woodbox.

Kraden considered for a while. "Well, if your parents don't mind. And you must be careful to keep out of the neighbours' sights."

"Okay."

"Now, please start your meditation."

Obediently, Isaac sat down to meditate. But he could not focus on keeping his mind blank. Kraden's words kept flooding back to him.

'Humans don't appreciate our abilities.' _Keep the mind blank... blank! _'They think of us as mutants. Monsters. Devils. _Just concentrate!_

CRASH! _Concentrate!_ Thud! _Blank... blank...!_ BISH! _Focus!_ Monsters...

Disturbed, Isaac opened his eyes.

A large, cat like creature the size of a lion with large golden wings sat in front of Kraden the same way a dog would. Kraden frowned.

"Isaac, you shouldn't lose concentration," he reprimanded. The giant cat turned. Isaac gasped and fell backwards in surprise. In place of its head was a very familiar face.

"Is that a... a... A...!"

Garet stared, then scowled. "Don't make fun of it," he warned. "I know sphinxes are supposed to be female. Can I help it?"

Isaac continued staring. Felix looked majestic with a centaur body. But Garet, sitting on the ground like a dog with a cat's body and feathery wings, struck him as strange. The words 'odd' and 'weird' kept swimming through his mind.

Golden fur covered the scowling sphinx. The hairs on the tail were thinner and shorter, however, and Isaac was startled to see a small flame burning at the tip. Large wings sprouted from each shoulder tip, each feather a pale gold. Garet's bright red hair contrasted sharply with the lighter colours of the rest of his fur.

Somehow, after a second look, Isaac didn't think that Garet's creature was a sphinx.

"But... you don't really look like a sphinx."

"Well, like you've probably noticed, like Garet said, all known sphinxes are female. So maybe the differences are how you tell male and female sphinxes apart," Kraden said lightly. "We may never know."

"Are you laughing?" Garet asked, still frowning.

"Why should I be?" Isaac said innocently. He knew that he wanted to laugh; Garet with a cat's body still looked funny.

"Because everyone thinks sphinxes should be female."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with a male one," Isaac said truthfully. Garet grinned.

"Exactly! People are weeeeiiirrd."

"Well, since you've lost concentration, we might as well start practical. Garet, you rest for a while. I want you to break those rocks as soon as possible. Isaac, today's training will be on your reflexes," Kraden said.

His students nodded.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Isaac wiped a smear of blue paint off his snout, panting slightly.

"Let's try again," Kraden said, smiling encouragingly. He picked up two small, palm-sized bags. Isaac nodded and turned around. Kraden lifted one bag in each hand.

Without warning, he threw one bag forward with his left hand. As the bag neared its target, Isaac whipped his tail forward, knocking the bag to the side. A second bag flew forward from Kraden's right hand. Isaac whirled round and swiped at it. His claws sliced through the bag, and bright blue paint spilled out, giving his silvery claws a second colour.

Kraden laughed. "That's another thing about paint bags. Don't burst them. If I had thrown a poison bag, you'd have caused yourself trouble."

Isaac nodded, pulling the spoilt bag from his claws.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Creature creature!" Kraden called.

"Changer changer!"

Isaac recognised the voice. He lifted a claw and pushed the already unlocked door open. Jenna entered, then fell back.

"Whoa whoa!"

"Don't worry, Jenna. That's only Isaac."

Jenna entered and closed the doors, wide eyed.

"You really ARE a dragon!"

"Duh. What'd you expect, a komodo dragon?" Garet joked. He turned and continued his own work. Kraden had also told him to break rocks. Unlike Felix's, his were unanimated and much smaller.

"Well, Jenna, your lesson for today will be theory. So sit down like a good girl and read your textbook from page 15 to 20," Kraden instructed. He knew that Jenna didn't like being treated like a little girl, but no one could resist making her furious. It was just too easy to tease her.

Jenna pouted, then sat down obediently, muttering curses.

Isaac smiled to himself. As he watched Jenna flipping through the textbook, he wondered what was written in it. He had never opened the book before, and Kraden had never told them to bring it.

The next thing he knew, he sensed something rushing at him from behind. Instinctively, he turned and swiped at his target. Again, the paint bag broke, scattering paint over his face.

The others laughed.

"Looks like you haven't learnt your lesson," Kraden looked and sounded amused. Isaac scowled, then shook his head with a sigh. "Right, you take a rest for a while. I'll see to Garet."

Nodding, Isaac changed back. To his chagrin, some of the paint that he hadn't been able to get rid of were still on him, stuck to his clothes. And his face was still dripping.

"Bother..."

Jenna took out a piece of tissue and wiped his face clean, chuckling. "That's why everyone keeps a set of spare clothes in the locker. In case their Changing teacher decided to torture them that day." Her eyes sparkled with humour.

Isaac raised an eyebrow. "Garet doesn't."

"That's because he's Garet," Jenna replied at once. Then she laughed again, pulling out a pack of tissues from her bag. She handed it to Isaac.

"I should've known." _She has very nice laughter. Warm and... sincere. It's been a long time since I heard something like that. _As Isaac took the tissue with a nod of thanks, his fingers brushed lightly against hers. He felt butterflies in his stomach that he didn't think had anything to do with nerves.

Jenna grinned and took up her book again. Just then, there was a loud, sharp knock on the door. Kraden looked up, a frown creasing his forehead.

"There shouldn't be any other students at this time," he said quietly. Then he raised his voice. "Who's there?"

"Master Kraden! Are you there?" A worried voice came through the doors. It sounded desperate.

"Sophie Apolls?" Kraden nodded at Garet. He changed back immediately. The vice principal opened the door. A woman entered, panting. She had strawberry blond hair and bright green eyes.

"Master Kraden! It's an emergency! One of my students! She... she just... she needs help!"

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Well. It's as close to a cliffhanger as I can leave it. Though it seems to be Valeshipping, like mentioned above, it's not. At least, I haven't decided.

So, hope you've enjoyed this chapter too!

Another note: 1136 hits!... I wonder how many of them actually came in to read? Oh well... It's still a piece of good news to cheer me on! Keep reading, and I'll be motivated to keep updating!

Cheers!

Daidairo


	8. Crappy Chapter Filled with Fillers

Creature Changers

Next chapter coming up! Side note: for those interested in romance, I'll be posting a new story soon. My friend Mayuko asked me to do a mudshipping fic with the main genre of romance. Dunno how it's going to turn out, but mudshipping fans, you may want to take a look when I post. This is unrelated to Creature Changers, but... oh well.

For those who want to vote for a pairing, PLEASE leave a reason. Any reason will do, as long as it's valid, I will take it as a vote. If not, I will ignore it. So please, give me a REASON.

I don't own Golden Sun. I don't have the word disclaimer this time either. Wait, I just put it in! Someone throw it away...!

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

ZofL: Thank you for the compliment. I will show all of the main characters as much as I can, but Isaac has the most scenes because he is the focus point of the third person narrative. I follow the game, and the game has Isaac as the main character. If you're looking for a Piers-based fic, I'm sorry, this isn't it. Also, you want a Piers/Jenna fic. I keep saying it and no one listens: if you want me to do a pairing, you must give me a reason. If you don't give me a reason, I'll take it as nonsense. Because everything has a reason, you know. It's been a long time since I've played Golden Sun 2, so I may have forgotten what was in the game; but as far as I can remember, Piers and Jenna are mainly just friends in the game. If you know of a reason in the game or personality-wise that backs up Jenna/Piers, please tell me rather then keep it to yourself. I may write Jenna/Piers if I think it's reasonable. So please, give me a REASON.

Kodoku: Um, the diss thing was just to have my alliteration. XD No one expected Garet to be a sphinx, because like said in previous chapter, sphinxes are mostly female! No one tried to guess what Garet is either... and you still want to know what Jenna is! Ah, the difference between popularity... The 7th grader is XXXX. Read and see. Nope, I haven't introduced Sheba or Mia either. Yet. My update is here! Nice cyclops, I might think of giving someone a cyclops...

raitei: Hm, everyone seems to think that Garet is the lazy kind. But in "Harry Potter and the Adepts of Weyard", another fic I read (it's marvelous, go read it), Garet was put in Hufflepuff for being hardworking. There it got me thinking. If Garet was lazy, given his level of intelligence (sorry Garet and sorry Garet fans) he wouldn't have gotten so good. So I concluded that he just couldn't be bothered with stuff like history, while in other things that matter, he uses work to make up for lack of genius. It sounds like him, and I can definitely say that it is IC. Not like valeshipping? Hm, well, I wrote what my fingers did. So let the story flow... Like mentioned above, I'm throwing out a mudshipping fic soon. It's romance based, but I'm not sure if I can manage it... being pathetic at romance and all... (sweatdrops) I see that no one expected Garet to be a sphinx. Look at my originality! (Is shamelessly boasting) Ahem. No, you're not evil. I don't like to leave readers hanging either; I have been left hanging previously and I didn't like it; who am I to do to others what I don't want others to do to me? So therefore I will probably have an alternate ending, or I will choose one. Still, no one has given me a pairing with a reason. Thank you for the support and compliment; 'love' is probably the nicest word anyone has used for my work. Thank you! (hugs)

guy: Read above. Please give a reason for Valeshipping.

savinglifelessness: It's not confirmed valeshipping yet. I mentioned before that the room the mythicals have for Changing lesson is the hall. The Great Hall. How big do you think it is? (grin) Thank you for the review!

SpasticDjinn: Hm, I see. I hope to have Creature Changers so good that people will say "Animals. Like Fruits Basket, but there the similarity ends." I just don't like Furuba.

Shiny Milotic: Lighthouseshipping can't happen yet: Sheba hasn't shown up! (sweatdrops) I'm sorry... She'll appear, I promise! My reviewers are so smart sometimes, I wonder why I should leave cliffhangers. They can guess everything anyway! Yes, the girl is a mythical. Please stop guessing and scroll down to read. (My cliffhangers are predictable... sigh...)

crazy-but-fun: Thank you for the review!

lunarwolvesshadow: XD Yes, I don't think anyone expected Garet to be a sphinx. What did you think Garet was going to be? The author is curious about how others view her fic...

Ponie: I don't dislike Alex. Why should I? He's adorable... with sky blue hair... And he's smart. Kind of. So you say Valeshipping because of Imilshipping. Meaning if I'm not going to put Alex in, you might not choose Valeshipping? Or, put it this way, if there's no Alex in here, which would you choose, Mudshipping or Valeshipping? Don't be too upset yet, Alex may or may not be in here. I'm not going to say whether or not he is, you'll have to wait and see!

A MErcury Adept: Thank you! I'm not too sure if this will be a romance. I usually don't put much romance in, but there'll be a few snippets of them left and right. The other adepts... Well, you'll have to wait and see! I know I'm evil, but if you want to find out, read the fic!

anonymousgal: Thank you! Finally someone gives me a reason for a pairing. And hey, I wanna add; that lighthouse thing is one of my favourite reasons too! I'm updating now!

hope: Well, again someone says mudshipping and without a reason. Please please please a reason please! I'm writing the chapter now! Garet as a sphinx is unexpected, I can see. And you're laughing nonstop. XD And oh, you don't have to double review. Just ask me on MSN. As for Mia... That's for me to know and you to wonder. I'm an evil author who keeps her readers wondering.

The Shadowess: Eheheh. Toothpicks... Thank you for the compliment! It's the first time anyone has said that my fic is like a novel... Thank you! (bows) Uh, excuse me but I read your bio, and you seem keen on both Furuba and yaoi stuff. If you see me dissing it, please don't be offended. I'll respect your opinions, please respect mine.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 8: Crappy Chapter Filled with Fillers

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Isaac stared in confusion at Miss Apolls. _Why would there be trouble so deep that a _teacher _could panic and rush to Kraden?_

Kraden stared briefly at her, then nodded. He turned to his students.

"I'll end this lesson now. You now have a free period. Please either head for the library, the canteen or your next lesson," he said quietly. "Class dismissed."

He opened the door and led a very nervous Miss Apolls out. Outside stood three boys, looking nearly as nervous as Miss Apolls. Defiant scowls covered their faces, as if they were trying to prove they didn't care about whatever had happened.

As Kraden closed the hall doors behind him, the three students looked at each other.

"What now?" Jenna asked.

Isaac shrugged. "What do you think happened?"

"Not sure. I don't think anything like this has happened before," Garet said. "Maybe those three boys killed a student while Changing and Miss Apolls didn't know what to do."

"Garet!" Jenna glared at him disapprovingly. "You shouldn't say things like that!"

"Why not?"

"Because it's a matter of life and death. You can't just say someone died in that lighthearted tone!"

"Well, it's not as if I know who the person is..."

"But that person has people who care about..."

"But I don't know the person!"

"Well, you should feel for the person's family and friends! Put yourself in other people's shoes!"

"At the rate people are dying all over the world I ought to spend my time in mourning!"

"Wait!" Isaac interrupted. Both Garet and Jenna stopped, breathing heavily.

Unfortunately, volcanoes don't stop errupting with one word.

"I don't, but what if the person who got killed is someone you know? What if the person is someone close to you!" Jenna yelled. "You insensitive peabrain, think about others for once!"

"Are you implying that we know the person? What, you're worried Felix was the one killed by those boys?" Garet retorted.

"Don't you DARE say things like that! I'd personally castrate them if they killed Felix!"

"Right! As would I! So don't say I don't have feelings, I do! I'll avenge Felix by ripping them to bits! I do think about others! But even Felix wouldn't have spent his time mourning about the people all over the..."

"I'll castrate YOU if you talk about Felix that way!"

"Cut it out!" Isaac blurted sharply. "The way you two are talking, it's as if Felix _is_ person! As if the person, or Felix, _is_ dead! I'm getting muddled by you!" He sighed. "I'm sorry, but rather than jump to conclusions, wouldn't it be better to wait and see? Who ever said that Felix is the person involved? Who ever said that someone died? We don't know the facts for sure, so it'd be better not to say anything in case we cause anything, wouldn't it?"

Both Jenna and Garet shut up.

"You know, he's right," Jenna said. "The more we talk about it the more we convince ourselves there's been a murder case. When in actual fact maybe the three boys were naughty and Miss Apolls overreacted."

"Yeah... I guess so," Garet looked embarrassed as well. "Just got a bit over excited, I guess."

"Good. Now kiss and make up."

Both Garet and Jenna whirled round and glared at Isaac.

_OH CRAP! I said that without thinking! _"I-I didn't mean that! It's just a phrase we use back in Vale!" he defended, raising both hands in front of him.

"You'd better not have meant that!" Both Garet and Jenna said simultaneously. They smiled sheepishly at each other.

"But since you did say it, you deserve punishment," Garet said. Reaching for a paint bag from a box, he smirked.

"And so, you're going to be a good boy and receive it," Jenna did the same.

_Oh no. _Isaac knew he was dead. The next moment, paint bags were flying at him.

Yelping, he took to his feet as his friends chased after him, flinging paint bags left and right.

"Thanks a lot! I tried to get you two to stop quarreling and..." he jumped. "This is what I get..." he dodged. "...in return!"

A paint bag smacked Isaac on the head, covering his shiny blond hair in blue paint.

"Of course," Jenna yelled, raising another paint bag.

"That's what friends are for!" Garet's next bag went whizzing toward his target.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"9A, I am Joshua Hunter."

Again, Isaac eyed a teacher in front of him. The English teacher was pretty normal looking. Short, neat brown hair parted neatly in the center; neat, straight shirt and well-ironed pants; and neat, highly-polished leather shoes covered the neat teacher.

"Some people don't like him. Just because he's not a Changer," Dave said quietly. "Unfair, isn't it?"

So Mr Hunter was not a Changer. _As long as he's a teacher and he's nice, why should it matter? _"It shouldn't matter."

"Now, open your textbook to the blank page at page 4. You will take notes..."

"But sir! Page 4 isn't blank! It has lines over it!" Joash called.

Isaac chuckled softly. When Joash knew he could get away with it, he would voice out his sensible, albeit insane, opinions. But still, they made sense.

Mr Hunter frowned. "Yes, I know. But you can write over it, Mr Goldring, and I want you to..."

"But then it isn't blank! Blank means clean, but white paper can't be called blank either, because white is something on the paper too, isn't it? It's a colour, and..."

"Mr Goldring, I understand your point. All right, I made a _mistake_."

Joash grinned and put down his hand. Most of the students in class were giggling nonstop by then. Mr Hunter frowned, then turned back to the whiteboard.

"Today, you will copy down your vocabulary list. I expect you to have learnt everything by next week, and I will give you a test on it."

Disapproving groans and protests rose.

"_Copy them down_!" The class fell silent. They began, some rather sulkily, to copy down words that Mr Hunter was scribbling out at top speed. Even his scribbles were neat.

"Addressee..."

"Complimentary close..."

"E-X-E-L-L... Wait, no, there's a C..."

"There are altogether 40 words for you to..."

"WHAT!"

"We had only 25 last year!"

"_Copy the words and stop talking_!"

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"School ends earlier on Mokushidays. Even earlier on Kinwudays," Garet explained. "So we get to go home and... do stuff!"

"But Mr Hunter released us late, didn't he?" Isaac said, closing his locker and glancing at his watch.

"Uh huh. Because he said that Joash took up his time. Puh-lease, Joash took about 3 minutes and he took about 10."

Isaac laughed.

"Well, I'm heading home! See you tomorrow!" he said, waving. Garet waved back, knocking the glasses off a girl from their class called Samantha.

Chuckling, Isaac walked out. He took the now familiar route home. As he passed the playground, he remembered the fight. He thought about what Kraden had said.

"Changers... we... Can we help being what we are? Are we never to lead a normal life?"

As he continued slowly on, Isaac was heedless of his surroundings as he sorted through his confused thoughts. He had forgotten all about the incident due to Miss Apolls, and the quarrel between Jenna and Garet.

_The quarrel._ Isaac stopped. He smiled, remembering Garet's words.

_"That's what friends are for!"_

"He's right. We lead a normal life. A little too exciting, maybe, but... we have friends." Slowly, Isaac smiled. "Family. We're humans too. It doesn't matter what others think, as long as... there are people who believe in us."

Having cleared his mind by himself, Isaac cheered up considerably. He usually needed Flint or Ground to talk sense into him, and was always triumphant when he could overcome doubts with his own ability. Looking up happily, he suddenly noticed that he wasn't walking in the correct direction.

"Oops."

The buildings around him were not as new as the ones he always walked pass. They looked older and worn out, not to mention dirty. Very few trees grew around the area, and most of them were small and dreary looking. Even the pavements were grey and old. Turning around, Isaac was about to head home when he noticed two familiar faces.

At the doorway of a small cottage-like house were two students wearing the uniform from his school. Isaac stared, then froze as he recognised a brown ponytail.

"Felix? Jenna?"

The two turned. They looked startled.

"Isaac. What are you doing here?" Felix asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, stop it. He's not spying on us," Jenna said crossly.

"Uh no, I'm not," Isaac grinned. "I walked in the wrong direction."

"You lost your direction?" Felix asked.

"I was just thinking!"

"It's not healthy to think too much," Jenna said seriously. They laughed.

"So... um... you two live here?"

_Wrong question,_ Isaac thought nervously as Felix and Jenna both scowled.

"Yeah. Something wrong? Not everyone is that well off," Jenna said, staring at Isaac, as if daring him to look down on them.

"There's nothing wrong with it," Isaac said, staring straight back. He smiled uncertainly. "I think it's great. Looks... small and cosy."

Felix chuckled. "You're the first to say something like that."

Jenna grinned. "It's a long story. Do you want to hear it?"

"Over lunch," Isaac offered. "My parents wouldn't mind."

Both Felix and Jenna stared at him.

"No, it's not sympathy. I asked because I treat you as friends."

Both Felix and Jenna looked taken aback. Jenna laughed.

"You're really sharp, you'll cut yourself one day," she chuckled. "All right. I'll accept the offer. I'm kind of sick of my own cooking anyway."

"No, you're not going. Sorry, Isaac, but I already ate lunch and I have to finish my homework now before I go for work later."

"You have to..." Isaac was surprised that Felix had a job. _What for?  
_  
"So? I don't have a job! And I don't have homework!" Jenna protested. "_And_ I want to see what Isaac's house is like!"

"You're not going without me. Sorry, Isaac, not that I don't trust you, but two teenagers alone in one house can..."

Isaac smacked his forehead and released a sound halfway between a laugh and a groan. Jenna heaved a big, heavy sigh.

"HONESTLY. We. Are. Not. Going. To. Do. Anything!" Jenna cried exasperatedly. "His mom will be at home. Right?"

"Yeah. And despite what some people are like, I'm not interested in lust right now," Isaac added.

Felix's eyebrow continued to stay up.

"Well? You do know that even if you say know, I'll still go over?"

"It's not nice to go over without telling the hostess..." Felix started.

"My mother won't mind. Seriously."

Felix stared from Isaac to Jenna. Back and forth. Then he sighed.

"Oh, fine. But leave the door open at all times as long as you're alone, you hear me? And don't..."

"We know, we know! See you later!" Jenna whooped and grabbed Isaac by the arm. Before the startled blond could blink, she had dragged him out of Felix's sight.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Isaac! You're home!" Dora said, smiling brightly. "Come..."

She trailed off confusedly as she saw an unfamiliar redhead behind her son.

"Mom, this is Jenna, a friend from school. I know you always cook too much, so I asked her over for lunch. You don't mind, do you?" Isaac asked.

"Oh... of course not!" Dora's face broke out in a wide smile. "Come in, come in!"

"Nice to see you, ma'am!" Jenna smiled back brightly. "I'm Jenna Venus."

Secretly, Dora was relieved that Isaac had found friends in his new school. The second thought that had crossed her mind was that the friend was a female. Wasn't her son too young to date?

_He's 16-years-old. Definitely old enough. This Jenna seems nice... _Dora blinked as she heard Jenna cheer.

"Carrot soup! Oh gosh, it's been a long time since I had any!" she yelled happily. Dora looked slightly taken aback. Isaac caught her gaze and grinned.

"Easily excited," he mouthed. "Her personality is really bright and colourful."

Unfortunately Dora was not a good reader of lips. 'Easily excited' she could guess and comprehend. The next few words she couldn't understand, but right at the end her son seemed to be saying something that made her freeze.

"You... you what?"

Jenna and Isaac stared at her, confused.

"Isaac... you... didn't you two just... how... This is too sudden!"

"What is?" Jenna asked, perplexed. "You... don't want me to stay to lunch? I could leave..."

"No, it's not that... Isaac, you said..."

"What did I say?" Isaac looked as bewildered as Jenna.

"You... you said you love... her..."

"I WHAT?"

"HE WHAT!"

"I said nothing of the sort!" Isaac cried, gulping at Jenna's stunned face.

"You were mouthing..."

"I was... You mean..." Light dawned on Isaac. Staring at his mother's shocked face, then at Jenna's red one, he began to laugh. He mouthed the word 'colourful'. Both Jenna and Dora gaped again. Then he repeated the word out loud. "Colourful."

"Eh?"

"Hm?"

"I was saying, 'her personality is really bright and colourful'. You jumped to conclusions, didn't you?" Isaac shook his head, grinning. Jenna began to laugh as well. Dora sank into a chair.

"So, you... don't..."

"No," Isaac said. Another look at his mother's 'phew-this-is-too-much-all-of-a-sudden' face and he began to laugh again.

"What's all the noise about?"

"Yeah, yeah! We could hear you from way up there!"

Isaac and Dora froze. Jenna turned to the staircase. Her eyes widened.

"It's Flint and Ground!" Dora whispered. Isaac turned as well. The two Venus djinn had flown down and were floating lightly at the doorway. They stared at Jenna in surprise.

"Uh, Jenna?" Isaac said uncertainly.

"Djinn," Jenna said softly.

Suddenly, a clear, light voice rang out.

"I can't believe it! Let me out!"

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Heh. This is a definite, nice big cliffhanger. I thought of making this chapter longer, but due to the fact that I had too much conversation and extra things, not much plot had been developed in here. This is pretty much a filler chapter, I suppose. Hey, don't be upset, I updated quickly!

X)

So, until the next chapter!

Daidairo


	9. Poor djinn, poor kids What'cha Gonna Do

Creature Changers

Sorry for the long delay in update, I have been busy working on other stuff. Which includes_ The Mediator_, so mudshipper lovers, and non-mudshipper lovers if you're interested, I've nearly finished plotting it.

On the subject of pairings, I've decided to hold a poll. Go to http/ daidairo. 250free. com/ GSPoll. html. Take out the spaces and vote for either mudshipping or valeshipping. The poll will be closed on 30th September 2005, so vote before then. ONLY ONE VOTE EACH! The pairing chosen for Creature Changers will be the one with the higher number of votes. I will write another fic with the pairing that has lesser votes. Meaning, if valeshipping loses, Creature Changers will have mudshipping, _The Mediator _will be mudshipping, and I will post a oneshot featuring Valeshipping. If mudshipping loses, Creature Changers will be valeshipping, and _The Mediator_ remains mudshipping, and there will be no oneshot. So copy and paste the url and take out the spaces, and vote!

EDIT: I LEFT OUT THE DISCLAIMER! So I'm going to write now... 

I don't own Golden Sun. And this time I really don't have the word 'DisclaimeX' here.

Isaac: Your 'edit' note has it.

AAAAAAAAACCCCCKK! Oh crap, oh crab, oh gyaaaaaaaahhhh!

Isaac: Gyah doesn't rhyme with crap or crab.

BE QUIET. I HAVE NO IDEAS.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Kodoku: Well, since some people like cliffhangers and some don't, I decided to just put cliffhangers in. Because after all, a cliffhanger makes someone review and demand for a chapter more than a proper ending, doesn't it? I didn't know what to name my chapter, so I told the truth: it _is_ crappy. Hopefully this chapter isn't as bad. As for the 7th-grader... Wow. I just pressed the X button randomly and you can derive a four-letter name from it. And the Mars Djinni thing... I should really give up on my cliffhangers. Or maybe I should purposely twist my story so that the readers who were right at first will be wrong. XD

savinglifelessness: Like said in Kodoku's response, I give up. Yes, it's Jenna's Mars Djinni. You readers are out to guess what my cliffhangers are supposed to be, aren't you? XD

a MErcury adept: Most of your questions are answered as this chapter is now up. Sorry for the delay, but like said in notes above I have been working on many things, including another fic. You didn't try to guess who yelled the final line! Many of the others (looks at reviewers stated above) guessed it was a Mars Djinni. Useless to try to hide it now. 

raitei: It's been some time since I've heard from you! Yes, yes, yes, AGAIN I SAY THE LAST LINE IS YELLED BY A MARS DJINNI. XDXD Well, it's Felix after all. He's made to be serious, and I could tell he was really the overprotective kind. Maybe I got his character wrong, and he's OOC. If so, please warn me! As for the pairings, I've already put up above about the poll. Go vote for mudshipping if you want! _The Mediator_ is not a oneshot. I plan to let it run for quite a couple of weeks in fact, depends on how much I can put in. Thank you for your support, I love reviews! I live on reviews XD

ZofL: Well, if we follow your logic, Isaac is calm and patient too. The 'opposites attract' thing would work with valeshipping too. So yeah, you probably need a better reason. But for now I'll accept it. Only of course, it's probably valeshipping or mudshipping now. If you really want your pairing in Creature Changers, you could try writing a debating essay and sending it to me. If I find it logical and I agree, I'll do it. As to the other creatures, the other readers are waiting for them too! Continue reading to get your answer.

Ponie: You actually have time to check everyday? Don't you have homework? I do, and it takes longer to type than to read and review, you know. XD Yes, I did say that Alex is evil. And I can say it again (grins widely) ALEX IS EVIL! XDXD I didn't mean "Alex is evil. He should die". Of course I didn't. Alex is so bishy... Ahem. Anyway, I was surprised you liked Imilshipping because you didn't seem like that sort. You seemed more like a mudshipping type to me, you see. Proves how wrong I was. Right, so you still prefer valeshipping. Head to the top and go to the poll!

blackarrow92: Thank you for the compliment. The few implications of valeshipping can be taken the other way, actually. Like the part where Sheba teases Jenna and she goes red; people say it's because it's true. But it could also be because Jenna _doesn't_ like Isaac that way and she feels embarrassed. There are different ways to view it, really.

The Shadowess: I like all djinn. They're all cute and I don't think any one is better than the others. Eheh, I think I've mentioned it, but I didn't have enough space to put in more storyline thanks to the amount of crap I typed up. I'll hopefully have a plotfilled chapter this time round. XD I like the way you put your favourite guys. I must say I pretty much agree, except the angsty part. I like them to have an angsty past, but it wouldn't be cool if they went around dripping about their past. I'm sorry, I don't like yaoi, somehow I find it... indecent? Unnatural? I'm sorry, but I'll respect your likings. This fic isn't a valeshipping one yet, check above to learn about the poll. Well now, I can't remember when I posted chapter 8, but it's only on the second page of Golden Sun, so it's not that long yet! Poor Ivan got stabbed. XD

guy: Read my response for blackarrow92 above. I'm using the same example. All the 'hints' can be taken differently. Thank you for the review.

Yuja: Thank you! I do agree with what you said, and I do want to write what I want. But I know there are people who have been eagerly following my fic and waiting to see what pairing would appear. I don't want to disappoint people, I hate to do that. You can't please everyone, though, hence my decisions above. I'll let logistics and fate decide. Thank you for your review!

crazybutfun: Oooh, you changed your name. I'm continuing now!

Mercury Gold: (beams) Thank you! I tried to make the characters as believable as possible, according to their personalities from the games. I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapters, I hope you enjoy this too!

Shiny Milotic: Yes, yes, I'm sorry. I can see I need to say that the previous chapter doesn't count as a chapter because no plot progresses. Thank you for the cookie! But I'll have to keep it for later, my throat hates anything that isn't 100 healthy and if it's hurt, I won't be able to sing in choir. Thanks anyway!

hope: Uh, I didn't notice the three. XD You say you don't see a reason why they must be together? I'm surprised to hear that coming from you. If no reason is needed, any one can be with anyone. 'Djinns' is not the plural by the way, go and play your GS again! XD How the djinn are included will be revealed in later chapters. Um, I'm not sure if the other readers read your review. As for cookies... Maybe they just like cookies?

Princess Viv: Don't cry! You don't have to apologise either! This fic will always be here for you to read! ... At least, until Fanfiction . net takes it off. I keep thinking about what will happen to our fics and accounts after we die or something. I'm posting Chapter 9 now, but even if you can't read it yet, it'll mean that when you're free, you have a lot to read! ---

lunarwolvesshadow: XD I got the idea of the lip reading from school, when my friend couldn't read what I was trying to say and thought I wanted to go swimming in the canteen when I was asking her to meet me at the locker. Garet a lion... well, that's a choice. But I want my mythicals! (embraces the word 'mythical') Sphinxes are cousins of lions anyway. As for gryphon... Heheh, I won't be a spoiler. Read on!

Trixie's girl: That's a whole lot of question, and I'm not sure if I understood everything due to lack of punctuation and grammar... -; Isaac and Jenna would depend on the poll above. Dora is rather hasty when it comes to her son, the first chapter should've shown that she worries easily. As to Isaac showing in public... do you mean changing? Because he isn't invisible... If it's changing, I'm not sure yet. I MUST have mentioned before that Creature Changers had no planning whatsoever. Not much anyway. Jenna and Garet will also depend on the poll. Isaac and Jenna again as well. Garet will AGAIN depend on the poll. Mia hasn't appeared yet, but I _am_ planning on having her in.

...I have a response that is too long. Next time if I talk too much, I might move my responses to the bottom. People get tired of scrolling down, I heard. I don't mind myself, but still... No matter how many reviews I get, I'll definitely continue to take time to read and reply!

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 9: Poor djinn, poor kids; What'cha Gonna Do When They Come For You?

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Isaac looked at Jenna's backpack. It seemed as if the clear voice had come from there. Jenna's face looked sheepish as she unhooked one strap from her shoulder and brought the backpack to her front. She unlatched the opening and unzipped the bag. (A lot of words starting with 'un' here...) A bright red creature flew out.

It had shiny blue eyes and a yellow tummy. The rest of its body burned a fiery red colour that changed tones and hues with the light; like fire. It was staring at Flint and Ground.

Flint and Ground stared straight back.

Then a shriek rose from all three creatures and they flew towards each other, hovering around in an excited manner. Isaac could tell that if they had arms, they would be embracing each other wildly.

"That's a Mars djinni," Dora said, awed.

"Uh huh. Shine," Jenna replied, smiling at the companion who had snuck away in her backpack. "I didn't know you had djinn too."

"We usually don't talk about Flint and Ground. You probably know that djinn have been... mistreated by people," Isaac replied. "It's not that we don't trust you or anything..."

He trailed off as Jenna looked down, a familiar bitter expression clouding her face.

"Yes. I know."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"So then we stayed with the Gaias, and we're still here!" Ground explained happily.

"Well, so you guys don't remember your past either. I wonder what really happened," Jenna said, spooning carrot soup into her mouth.

"Maybe we'll never know," Isaac said, placing his cutlery neatly on the wooden table. "What about you and Shine?"

"Shine was thrown out of the empty hut she used to inhabit with another Venus djinni when some people moved in. So Felix and I took them in," Jenna replied. "It wasn't just the fact that we were sorry for them, or that we wanted to be friends. It was also because we knew how it felt to be chased away because we're different."

The bitter look again. Isaac piled the plates and bowls on the table together and took them to the kitchen, balancing them with as much skill as Garet showed (Refer to Chapter 6), and dropping the stack pell mell into the sink.

"Is it okay for me to ask what happened?" he asked quietly.

Jenna nodded her head slowly. She picked up Shine, followed Isaac, Flint and Ground up the staircases to Isaac's room. Remembering Felix's words (See Chapter 8 for details), Isaac obediently kept the door open as he sat down on his bed. Jenna sat down on the red plastic chair and placed both palms on the back of the chair.

"My parents died when I was about four. They were driving on a slippery road during winter and... the car skidded and crashed into a tree. Felix and I survived, but... they didn't."

Isaac did not know what to say, so all he came up with was a soft "Oh."

"Friends of our parents, Iuhis and Nitsua Krohmyo, took us in," Jenna continued, leaning her chin against her hands. Her lips trembled slightly. "We lived with them until I was about eleven. Felix and I... we really thought they were nice. They took us in when we had no one. Though they didn't seem to love us, they certainly cared, and we even thought that they did love us, that they just didn't want to show it."

"And?"

"When I turned eleven, and Felix was thirteen, they... we... found out that Felix and I are Changers."

Isaac swallowed. It was to do with Changing again.

"They... they don't like Changers?" he asked quietly.

"No, they don't," Jenna swallowed. When she looked up, her face was calm. "They chased me and Felix out, threatening to send the police after us if we dared to hurt them or their children in any way."

She gave a bitter, hollow laugh. "If only they knew what Kraden is threatening to do to Changers who assault normal humans."

"We _are_ normal!" Isaac objected. "We just... have a..."

"Gift? Or a curse?" Jenna shook her head. "No one has ever been able to determine what changer abilities really are."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"ALL RIGHT! LOGISTICS SOLVED!"

"You'll stay to dinner, won't you, Jenna?" Dora asked, smiling as Jenna folded a piece of paper filled with mathematical statements and squashed it into her backpack.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but no," Jenna replied. "I've been staying too long already."

"I'll see her home, would that be okay?" Isaac asked.

"Yes, of course. Come again another day, you're too skinny and need feeding up!" Dora called as the two walked out.

Isaac chuckled. "She thinks everyone is underweight."

"Except us, except us," Ground said, flitting up and down. "She thinks we have too much to eat because of our bulging tummies."

"Ground's always hungry, tummy or no," Flint remarked, settling onto one of Isaac's shoulders. "I'm amazed he hasn't exploded yet."

"Who knows what the eating capacity of a djinni is. What I find weird is, where does the food you guys eat go to?" Jenna asked. "We humans pass out waste, but I have never seen a djinni use a toilet."

"Come to think of it..." Isaac had never even seen the exit point on a djinni.

"We don't," Shine replied, looking puzzled. "We feel hungry, and we eat, but that's it."

"Maybe one day we'll X-ray them," Jenna said seriously. "Then we'll learn loads."

"That's exactly what they had to escape from, isn't it," Isaac sighed. He turned the corner. 

Jenna frowned. She patted his shoulder comfortingly. "One day, we'll find all the djinn. And none of them will be hurt again."

"You'll be hurt if you don't do as we say."

The statement was an order. Isaac and Jenna froze. All three djinn dived down, out of sight. A beam of light shone onto them, and a torch soon came into view. Four men followed, one of them belonging to the hand that held the torch. All of them were dressed in black clothes, with a black mask covering their nose and mouth.

"What do you want?" Isaac asked as calmly as he could. He had faced something similar back in Vale, and empty hands saved him from being injured previously. Now, however, he had his identity crystal on. It would definitely be seen as a valuable item.

"Turn out your pockets and put you bags on the ground. NOW."

"And if we don't?" Jenna thrust her chin out defiantly. Two guns were raised immediately.

"Be good now."

Jenna hissed. Her right hand clutched her left arm, and Isaac guessed what she was trying to do.

"No, Jenna!" he whispered. "No changing outside school! And no attacking is allowed!"

"But..."

"Stop whispering!" the click of a gun silenced both changers. Slowly, silently, they emptied their pockets and laid their belongings on the ground.

As one of the masked men leapt forward eagerly, two tiny blurs flew forward, stabbing him furiously in one eye. A third one knocked the torch off, hiding the changers from view.

"HEY!"

"What..."

"Where's the torch!"

"OUCH! MY EYE!"

"They've got the _GUN_!"

Something grabbed Isaac and Jenna and pulled them behind a red postbox. Ground flew past the two, heading for the men. The torch was retrieved soon and the masked men picked themselves up. Cursing, they reached for the items left lying on the ground. But one tiny creature was there before them. His blue eyes were gleaming eerily.

"You won't get them from me! They'll stay to the ground until their _owners_ come back! You hear me, hear me!" Ground yelled. His eyes shone brightly. The items on the ground glowed as well. The man hesitated, then seized Isaac's identity crystal in his hand. But the crystal stayed rooted to the ground. Surprised, he tried to pry it up from the ground. The crystal refused to budge.

"Damn it... Peter! Get the stuff!" The man holding the torch cursed, waving one hand at Shine. "Get AWAY, you irritating beast!"

"Isaac, the djinn!" Jenna tried to move, but Isaac kept his hand firmly on her arm.

"No, it's dangerous!" Isaac insisted, pulling her back. He had never before seen Ground's eyes glow. He had no idea what to do. And he just wanted to wait and see. He felt his heart thumping wildly, but with each beat he felt more lost than before.

One man raised his gun and fired. Jenna screamed, ducking and pushing Isaac down. The bullet soared over their heads, lodging itself into a thick trunk.

Then chaos broke out. Shine and Flint glared at the robbers, their faces twisted with fury. Eyes shining like Ground's, both djinn charged towards the cowering men. As they flew forward, a bright barrier surrounded the two and they suddenly stopped. The barrier quickly became opaque, hiding the two djinn from view. It grew out of shape, forming a shape similar to a rearing lion. Then suddenly, the barrier _was_ a rearing lion. It charged towards the men faster than the djinn had, and the axe the lion was holding was brought down with a crash.

Loud screams pierced through the air. Isaac did not know what was going on anymore; his eyes were closed and his fingers were grasping the post box so tightly until they bled. The sound of people scrambling and running filled his ears. He didn't dare to move.

When Isaac finally opened his eyes again, he looked around him. Jenna was leaning against the post box, her hands over her ears with her eyes just as tightly closed as Isaac's. Trembling, he touched her lightly on the shoulder and she looked up, eyes wide.

"What... what happened?" she whispered. Isaac shook his head. Gulping, both of them turned slightly, fearing what they would see.

Lying on the road was one of the masked men. He was unconscious, but there was not a single injury on his body.

"Is... he still alive?" Jenna asked. Isaac shook his head again. Cautiously, he moved forward. Ground raised his head from where Shine and Flint lay. 

"Isaac, they're not waking up," he cried miserably. Isaac picked up the djinn, anxiously scanning them for injuries. Their eyes opened as his fingers touched them.

"We're fine," Shine said, breathing heavily.

"We just need to rest," Flint added, his eyes half closed. Isaac hugged the two creatures.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I... I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Don't be sad," Ground crept up, too tired to fly. He placed his head on Isaac's shoe. "It's not your fault."

"We did it for you. We wanted you guys to stay away. You didn't desert us," Flint added softly. "So don't be upset, okay...?"

"But..."

"Next time," Jenna took Shine from Isaac and held her against her cheek, "you will _not_ put us away. We're not deserting you. Ever." She looked at Isaac, tears threatening to fall. "We have to talk to Kraden. Next time, I will change."

Isaac nodded. He lifted Ground into his arms. "We better get them home."

"What about him?" Jenna nodded towards the still unconscious man.

Isaac hesitated. He did not want to have any trouble. Kneeling down in front of the man, he pulled of his mask. After a few seconds, he nodded and stood up.

"The police will deal with him," he said. "I don't want anymore trouble. We can be witnesses if they can't find the other culprits, but otherwise..."

"I agree," Jenna interrupted. She grabbed her belongings and crammed them into her backpack. "I want to go home."

Still shaken, the two turned and headed home with their djinn.

The moment Isaac entered his house, Dora shrieked.

"What happened! Ground? Flint!"

Isaac laid them on the sofa, his hands trembling.

"It's all my fault," he whispered, his throat dry.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Well, I intended on writing more, but it's really late and my mom is chasing me to sleep. Yet I really wanted to post this chapter up! And yes, I am aware that despite the word count, this chapter is short. The reviewer responses took up too much space, so I'll try to cut down next time!

Sheba: (poking her head out) Liar. Those are just excuses.

... Well, sorry! Now go away! I need to sleep so that I can work up inspiration for the next chapter! I promise it'll be longer! I promise!

Daidairo


	10. Freaky Friday

Creature Changers

Back with the tenth chapter! Would it be asking too much if I say I want my review count to shoot past 105 this time? ;

The poll for Mudshipping or Valeshipping will continue until the 30th: http/ daidairo. 250free. com/ GSPoll. html Some people say that they cannot access the page. I'm sorry, I know not why, so I will be counting the votes in reviews from chapter 9 onwards as well as the votes sent to me via email until the poll finishes. Please only vote once! No cheating!

Statistics as of 26 September 2005: Mudshipping---10 votes Valeshipping---5 votes

I'd like to add, everyone who mentioned the djinn were concentrating on Zagan. Did anyone even notice that I could make Ground use his ability? And I hadn't planned it when I chose Ground and Flint.

Also, people have complained that my days are too weird. So as of this chapter, they're switching back to English. I'll edit the previous chapters as soon as I can.

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun. I own this plot. No, I don't own the Golden Sun plot either, that belongs to Camelot. And no, Camelot is not a farm with a plot of land. Can you imagine Isaac as a carrot in a field? Old man Camelot had a farm, G-S-G-S-O! And on his farm there were some djinn, E-I-E-I-O! With a 'beep beep' here and a 'beep beep' there... GBA knows only how to beep! Old man Camelot had a farm, G-S-G-S-O!

...Pardon the lameness. I just like changing lyrics of songs.

EDIT: I made a mistake about Zagan, so I changed it. Scroll down to see!

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Mercury Gold: Yes, it's Zagan. I didn't actually intend to have GS related stuff here, but then I thought, why not? There won't be any psynergy, considering the way I've developed the story, unless I really am a good writer and can spin webs of imagination. But I doubt it. ; I'm adding your vote to the list!

Kodoku: XD I still like my cliffhangers, even if they _are_ predictable. So I don't think I'll be giving up on them just yet. Thank you for voting, everyday I check the results and I realise that this fic is probably going to be Mudshipping. But it's not decided till 30th!

crazybutfun: Djinn are all cute! I'm glad you like it!

raitei: I'm sorry, I know I talk too much. You see, everytime a reviewer says something, I don't just cast it aside. I do think through it and reply, you see. I treat reviews like the readers' comments, so the more they talk, the more I reply! I'm trying to cut down on my speech now. Or not, since technically you guys don't hear my voice. Thank you for suggesting people come, but I wouldn't want votes in which people just vote their pairings without even knowing what my fic is about. I want genuine feedback from the people who are still reading this fic. I notice that the hit count has really lowered... Zagan, by the way, is summoned by one Venus and one Mars, not Jupiter. About the tiredness... well, Golden Sun doesn't actually tell us what time it is. Walking on the world map triggers recovery at the same time, so who knows how much recovery time is needed? I decided that if the djinn weren't badly affected by summons, they would use summons multiple times. And given that in real life, we don't have depleting hit points, rather we have lifes that are easily taken, I didn't think multiple summons would be a good idea. In fact, Zagan could have KILLED. And we certainly don't want that. Yet... (sighs at spoiler) The Mediator is up all right, but I'm having a bit of trouble over the Japanese names. No one knows what they are! I'm going to have to translate, I see... As for Mia, you'll have to read on! ... Look, I talk too much.

The Shadowess: (sweatdrops) Go easy on your hair! I must say I share similar tastes where bishies are concerned... XD I'm not sure if I'll have much angsty. I usually go for the happy parts... I aim to touch on most genres in some way or other, of course, but I can't guarantee they'll be good. You better not name the fic, but I will agree that bad fics can cause wrinkles, hard attacks, and falling hair.

guy: Thank you for the compliment! You didn't mention this as a vote, so I'll take it you already voted on the poll.

Shiny Milotic: Yes, I do choir. In Howl's words, "I love choir, but choir doesn't love me". (mopes) Thank you for the juice!

Yuja: I suppose you're right, but I do try to please other people if I can. Or as many as I can. The address doesn't show, but you sent me that email, so I went. It's been very helpful, and I agree that in Egyptian lore, sphinxes are known as male. However, Golden Sun has always been working closely with Greek and Roman mythology, and I intend to take my information from that. From what I know, and I think the website mentioned it as well, in Greek mythology, sphinxes are mostly female. So... let's just say that Garet and friends do not know about Egyptian myths! XD Thank you for the website, I visited nearly every page I could! Thank you!

savinglifelessness: Thank you for the review! I hope this one is good!

Princess Viv: There there, you don't have to feel sorry for Isaac! I love him too, and I don't intend to be too evil to him. At least, not until he cracks. But enough to show how good he really is. Agree? XD I also know that I'm missing a lot of details. I want to work on it, but... I will try, seriously I will! 

A MErcury adept: Double reviews, and identical ones? (raises eyebrows) The others... might have djinn. I've said before that I didn't plan this, so they might appear later, maybe. I know what Iris is, or rather who, and I didn't find her so hard to get, in fact I had a fun time fighting Dullahan, and... I don't think Iris will show up in summons. (Big hint here!)

blackarrow92: I'll take your vote! Thank you for your support!

...Wow, considerable cut down in review responses. But still too much, isn't it...?

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 10: Freaky Friday... Not freaky, just 'Strange'

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Proceed." The black gates swung open. Isaac entered and headed for the assembly area.

He had thought about the djinn all night. Ground insisted that they knew nothing about the lion they had summoned. Or sticking the crystal to the ground.

Seeing that he had a few seconds before the first bell went, he raced up to the third level where the library was. Dumping his bag outside, he went in and looked around.

The books in the libraries were sorted into shelves by topic, then the names of authors. Isaac headed for the shelf that said "Medieval".

The shelf was rather empty. Most of the books concentrated on old history, about knights and wars. When the bell rang, Isaac hastily picked up the likeliest one, entitled "Old Legends" and ran to the counter.

When he arrived at the assembly area, the classes were already gathered. Under the disapproving eye of several teachers, he joined 9A.

"... they will begin next week. New students, including transfer students, there will be an orientation for clubs tomorrow in school, at ten o'clock in the morning," Kraden said clearly. "You can choose which club you wish to go, but if, for example, in soccer, the teacher decides that you are not suitable, you will not argue back. Instead, you will join something more suitable."

Clubs. Isaac made a note to remind Dora about having to go to school on a Saturday.

"You may leave for your first lesson."

A firm hand came down hard on Isaac's shoulder. He turned and saw dark brown eyes staring at him.

"What happened yesterday?" Felix's voice was soft.

"Didn't Jenna explain?" Isaac asked, feeling slightly awkward at the expressionless look on his face.

"Yes, she did. But she was slightly hysterical yesterday, and I couldn't get much from her. Tell me what happened."

Isaac sighed. He picked up his bag.

"Jenna and I encountered robbers," he said quietly. "We were instructed not to change outside school, and not to attack people who could not change."

"So you sat there and let the robbers steal."

"That's not it!" Isaac argued. "The djinn..."

"The djinn helped you. That much I gathered. But does that mean that if the djinn weren't there, those robbers would have gotten away with robbery, and maybe worse?" Felix's eyes were still kept expressionless, but anger was evident.

"..."

"Isaac Gaia. Do you remember what I told you when I fought off Briggs?" Felix asked. Isaac nodded slowly. He knew what Felix was saying. He knew deep down, that he had been a coward. He knew that Felix was disappointed in him.

"I was weak. I just sat back and let the djinn fight." He met Felix's eyes. "I promise that it won't happen next time. Next time, I will use my own power to protect myself. As well as those close to me."

Staring back at him, Felix nodded slowly. He smiled. "I know you will. You acknowledged that you were wrong, and you know what you must do. I will acknowledge that you are intelligent. Continue to, ah, search for happiness in sense."

Isaac grinned, remembering the principal's words on the first day of school. Felix waved and turned. Another hand slammed down on him.

"What did Felix want?" Garet asked cheerfully.

"To bring me to my senses," Isaac replied. He felt a deep sense of respect for the older student.

"Eh?"

Isaac laughed. "Never mind. What do we have first?"

"Physical Education. We're doing swimming today, so we're supposed to change and then meet at the pool," Garet replied in a know-it-all voice. "You _did _bring the suit included in the shopping list, didn't you? The students who forget are told to forget about participating too."

"Yes, I brought it. No, it's not the 'shopping' list. And why?"

"Why what?" Garet began to steer Isaac to the toilets nearest to the pool.

"Why are the punishments for forgetfulness like that?"

"Because our suits are extremely modest. Have you looked at it?" As Isaac shook his head, Garet chuckled. "The punishments are for girls who turn up in bikinis. The boys can't concentrate if they're there. They're also for guys who turn up in trunks. The girls can't concentrate if they're there."

"Oh." Isaac wanted to laugh. Seeing 'physical education' in the timetable, he had put in the entire set for PE. It included the swimsuit, shorts, two T-shirts, a pair of goggles and a pair of thick, long socks. He pulled out the suit and stared at it quizzically. It resembled a scuba diving suit, except that it was much shorter.

"Disgustingly weird, and we all look like squids in them," Garet said, entering a cubicle.

"It can't be that bad."

"It is! I don't like swimming myself. I don't like water," Garet grumbled from inside his cubicle. "I don't like cold stuff."

"So you're a fire guy?" Isaac changed himself swiftly and stared in the full length mirror in the cubicle. (Whaa... the school is soooo rich!)

"Uh huh. A fireman, if you'll excuse the pun," Garet replied.

"That's not much of a pun, unless your dream career is to be a firefighter," Isaac chuckled as he decided that he didn't look _too_ bad. He opened the door and found Garet pulling off his socks and shoes. Sitting down, he did the same.

"Nah. Firefighters use water. I want to be a knight."

"A... what?"

"You know, like those in the oldern days?" Garet said brightly. "They used to go round rescuing princesses and slaying dragons."

Isaac sprang up with his bag on his back. His eyebrows shot up.

"Might I remind you, Garet, that I'm a dragon myself?"

Garet froze. He looked up. Then he laughed.

"OH I SEE. AHAHAHAHAHHAHAH!"

"Garet, it's not funny!" Isaac shook his head. "I'm the only dragon I've seen so far."

"Come to think of it," Garet stopped laughing. "I haven't seen any other dragons either. But it can't be just because of the mythical thing, because I know more than three people who are tabby cats."

He stood up with his bag. 

"Don't worry, the dragon was a statue of speech."

"A figure," Isaac corrected.

"I mean, I'll be the good guy going around slaying the bad guys.""Like a policeman?"

"... I suppose."

The rest of the class had already changed and were sitting by the pool. To Isaac's surprise, there were twenty unfamiliar faces next to his class. Seeing his confused face, Garet launched into an explanation as they sat down.

"Due to the lack of teachers around, two classes sometimes have to share lessons," he said. "Looks like Mr Federastin Alhod will be shared with them from now on."

A tall, tanned, muscular man walked up to them. He had bright blond hair that looked bleached and contrasted with his dark skin. He wore dark purple goggles that seemed to double as shades, and dressed in a black swimsuit similar to the students' blue ones.

"9A and 8A! Today, you'll be doing swimming!" he yelled. When the students just stared at him, his face twisted into a pout. A pout that looked extremely petty. "You're supposed to say yay."

"No one ever does. Not until Mr Alhod tells them to," Garet whispered, grinning. "Everyone wants to see that pig-like pout..."

Indeed, most of the students were giggling away. Isaac swallowed his laughter and kept a straight face.

"Let's try it again. 9A and 8A! For today, we'll be doing swimming!"

"YAAAAAYYYY!" Joash jumped into the air with a yell. As he landed, he knocked Dave into the pool. Dave yelled and went under.

Mr Alhod yelled too. "All right, students! This is where you see a demonstration of life saving! Watch carefully, for you'll be learning something similar!" He leapt into the pool with a neat, professional dive. As Dave popped up, sputtering and treading water, Mr Alhod grabbed him firmly under the chin.

"HEY HEY HEY! LEMME GO!" Dave screeched. The two classes were laughing hard by then. Dave obviously did not need saving, but Mr Alhod made a big show of swimming with only one arm, and keeping Dave's head above water level. His hand kept a tight grip on the struggling chairman, so when Dave was finally hauled onto ground, he was nearly unconscious. Not from being drowned; rather from being strangled.

"See, this is how you do it!" Mr Alhod demonstrated proudly. He raised one of Dave's arms up high, then brought it down to his side. Then up again, and down. "This helps to bring air back into his lungs. And then, of course, there's the CPR..."

Isaac shook with silent laughter. Dave sat up immediately, screaming.

"NONONONONO! MR ALHOD, I'M FINE! I'M FIIIINNNNNNEEEEE! I DON'T NEED CPR!" 

"Oh, he looks alive," Mr Alhod looked pleased. He beamed at the student. "You see, when a person is saved by a professional, like me, they don't get much water in their lungs and they don't need CPR! Dave Nicholas was saved because of my superb skills!"

"Liar," Dave muttered, his face crimson. He glared daggers at Joash. Isaac knew he had a stitch in the side. The peals of laughter and gasps of breath told him that nearly everyone else had the same problem.

"Well, now," Mr Alhod said cheerily as the laughter was toned down, "shall we begin our lesson? I want to see how good you people are in the water! So get in there and swim!"

Still laughing quietly, the students hopped into the crystal clear pool. The water was warm and inviting (Hah! As if! All the pools I visit have cold water!) and delightfully deep.

Isaac had not swam for more than half a year, and was relieved when he entered the water and did not drown. Remembering how the water felt, he swam his way back to the surface and broke clear of the silver barrier between air and water. As he shook the water from his ears, he felt something clutch at his legs. The next moment, he was underwater.

One leg gave Garet's arm a kick. The other leg struggled to get back to the surface.

"I have no wish to receive CPR from Mr Alhod," Isaac informed him, panting slightly. Garet grinned.

"And if the one to save you is a girl?" he asked. Isaac stared at him. "Aw, don't pretend you don't know what I'm saying."

Isaac didn't have to pretend; he _was_ clueless. Garet shook his head, still grinning, then grabbed Isaac and turned him around to look at several female members from 8A. They were giggling nonstop.

"Did you see the way his golden hair flopped into his eyes?"

"Ohh, yes! He looks so cute with wet hair!"

"And his eyes are sooo dreamy! Like the colour of the sea!"

"Wish they didn't have this swimsuit! How do you think he'll look in nothing but trunks?"

More giggles. Garet swung Isaac round to face him.

"Well?" he demanded. "Which one do you like?"

"What are you talking about?" Isaac demanded back at him. Garet sighed noisily and rolled his eyes.

"You're not very bright. Which guy around here looks like the one they described?"

Isaac scanned the water. The only ones who fitted both hair and eyes were females. 

"Um, none?" Isaac said. Garet sighed again, his face fitted with a you-are-so-dumb-it's-amazing look.

"Take a look in the water!" he insisted. Isaac looked down. Golden hair and blue eyes stared back at him puzzledly. Then Isaac kicked himself.

"Get it? YOU'RE the only guy here with golden hair and 'eyes like the colour of the sea'," Garet said, mimicking a high pitched voice. Isaac knew from Garet's grinning face that his face was the colour of tomatoes, and he quickly swam to another side of the pool. Once there, however, he could hear Mr Alhod talking.

"Nonsense, my dear! If you can't swim, you should learn!" he said.

"I _can_ swim, but... I don't want to swim today," a soft voice replied. Isaac looked up.

The student that Mr Alhod was talking to was a girl from 8A. She had bright blue hair that looked similar to Piers', and aqua eyes that resembled ice. Her expression was icelike as well, and her pale skin seemed to be radiating of rays that said don't-bother-me-and-I-won't-bother-you.

"Excuse me? It's part of curriculum," Mr Alhod said sternly. "You have to give a valid reason, like if you're sick. Then you need a doctor's certificate. If you fear water, you should learn to get over it."

"No, that's not it. I just... can't swim today. I can't... tell you my reason. I don't want to lie," the girl replied quietly. Isaac knew what the ice showed. Determined, straightforward, and honest.

"Nevertheless, unless you have a medical problem, you are expected to learn swimming," Mr Alhod insisted. A forced look enter the girl's eyes. Isaac saw different expressions pass through the eyes. Many that he could not identify. But there was definitely a trace of fear.

A phobia of water?

"Now please stop wasting time and get into the water," Mr Alhod ordered. The girl nodded. The look on her face had changed to one of I-have-no-choice. Strangely enough, she did not show resentment towards Mr Alhod. Slowly, she stepped to the pool and lowered herself in with her hands.

Isaac wondered who this girl was. Her face now showed concentration. Then something glimmered. Isaac blinked. Through the ripples on the surface of the pool, he could see something shimmering. Something silvery blue.

Just as sudden as it appeared, it disappeared. Isaac stared in confusion at the spot where the girl had gone underwater.

_What was that?_

He continued staring at the girl. Her eyes was still filled with concentration as she treaded water gracefully. There was nothing wrong with her swimming; she must have swam before. 

Mr Alhod had also gotten into the water, and was yelling for his students to go closer. Isaac watched the girl, confused, as she moved. Wolf whistles sounded from several boys, but she did not notice. Either that, or she ignored them. Then a familiar hand, wetter than before, whacked Isaac's poor shoulder for the third time that morning.

"She caught your eye?" Garet asked. He grinned. "She _is_ a pretty one, and you'll probably come up against a lot of competition if you want to chase her."

Isaac frowned at Garet crossly. This time he needed no explanation. "I do _not_ like that girl. It's just that..."

His voice trailed off. How was he supposed to explain the strange glimmer?

"Just that?"

"...I don't know how to explain," Isaac ended lamely.

"Hah! That's what they all say!" Garet said triumphantly. 

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"You are five minutes late," Mr Hunter said sternly.

"We had swimming lessons earlier," Rachel explained, handing him a note. Mr Hunter plucked the wet piece of paper from her. His eyebrows twitched.

"Mr Alhod... I see..."

Muffled giggles broke out. Mr Hunter threw the note into a plastic bin and turned to face the board.

"Today, we're going to start Review Writing."

'Review Writing' was printed on the board in clean, neat writing.

"We're going to start with Movie Reviews."

'Movie Review' appeared in the same neat writing. All the alphabets were roughly the same size, and looked happily fat and bloated.

"If he's going to write down everything, why bother saying them?" Joash muttered.

Chuckles.

Isaac opened the dusty book. The first page showed a chalky like picture of the sun and the moon. He flipped through the other pages. Every alternate one had a colourful picture. He scanned through the pages and finally stopped at one.

The picture was one of a rearing lion. Identical to the creature that had appeared the previous nights.

Isaac read the description quickly.

_Zagan is the keeper of beasts. He commands the elements of fire and earth. He is one of the Grand Gods, and ruled with justice under the Creators._

That was all the book had to offer. The rest of the paragraph concentrated on how Zagan helped many of his underlings.

"Grand Gods...? Creators?"

"You're not supposed to be reading that!" Rachel hissed. Isaac turned, surprised. Rachel pointed at a red tag on the book.

"Books with red tags aren't allowed to be touched unless a teacher gives permission," Rachel explained. She lifted the book out of Isaac's hands. "I'm afraid I'll have to take this back."

Isaac sighed. "I understand." He sat up and tried to pay attention to Movie Reviews. But the words on the book kept floating back to him.

The bell finally rang.

"Finally!" Garet opened his locker with a sigh. "I can't stand another moment of trying to learn how to say that Nemo was fun. I KNOW Nemo is fun, and I KNOW I should say Nemo is fun, but please. Words to describe Nemo as fun... This teacher is way weird."

"He's all right," Isaac said absently. He checked his watch. "Garet?"

"Hm?"

"Does Kraden have a class now?"

Garet stared at him, an eyebrow raised in curiousity. "I think he's taking Jenna now."

"Okay. You go on to the canteen, I know you need the food!" Isaac waved as he turned and went off.

"Why, you cheeky little..." Garet laughed. He shook his head, grinning. "Already he knows me well."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Creature creature."

"Changer changer," Isaac replied. The hall doors swung back. Kraden stared at him, then smiled.

"Come to see my students?"

"Uh, no, actually I..."

Isaac's comment was cut off as he was dragged into the hall. Immediately he was faced with bright, red eyes. Jumping back with a 'whoa', he stared.

It was a panther. A red one. Its short, thick fur was red, its eyes were red, and its claws resembled rubies. Flames rose up from either side of the panther it what seemed like wings. A single blood red ruby sat on its head.

"That's Jenna," Kraden informed, smiling. Isaac was stunned.

"Jenna!"

"Her creature's beautiful, don't you think?" an unfamiliar voice asked.

Isaac turned towards the source of the voice. He saw nothing but several golden threads.

"Hm?"

Kraden coughed. "Isaac, slightly... short."

Isaac adjusted his sight range by looking down. "Oh no, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult..."

Purple eyes. Filled with knowledge and quietness.

And bitterness.

"You are...?"

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

This time the cliffhanger is extremely predictable. I'm leaving it there because I want to continue throwing cliffhangers in, but I'm sure everyone can guess who Isaac is speaking to.

Till next time, and please review! (hints for 105 plus)

Daidairo


	11. The New Mysteries

Creature Changers

Well, here I am again with yet another chapter! I'm sorry for taking so long; I was having exams... ;

Also, people have asked what Jenna is. I don't remember if I have said this before, but mythicals include not just existing mythicals; it includes random creations of mine that do not exist. Jenna's fire panther is one of them. It has a name, but I'll leave it to you to read on and find out.

The result for the poll is out. Please bear in mind that I will count votes of people who cannot acess the poll and therefore review, as well as email me. So what you have seen previously on the poll is not the end result.

Annnnnddd... here it is!

Valeshipping: 13 votes  
Mudshipping: 16 votes

And so... Creature Changers is now officially Mudshipping!

Valeshippers, I sincerely hope you will continue to support the fic. Like I said previously, I will have a Valeshipping oneshot up soon.

Disclaimer: Definition of a disclaimer is something neccessary but lame. Disc-LAIM-er. LAIM Lame. Right? So the words "I don't own Golden Sun" is lame. So is Golden Sun lame? ...The Golden Sun does not even have feet. Must be the cast. But Isaac can walk. So can Garet and the others. So they're not lame... I'm lame, I know.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

raitei: Well, looks like your mudshipping dream came true! Obviously Isaac would have fans, look at his adorable face! ...Ahem. XD Mia is... pretty. But I feel that everyone in the main cast from Golden Sun looks great. You think she's a mermaid? Well, read on! I can't remember what colour Sheba's eyes are, but yes, and most people have guessed it, it's Ivan. This time my response is shorter, no?

Yuja: Nope! Not Sheba. Close though. And like said above, panther is a creation of mine. Guessing siren... you're awfully close! What I'm giving Mia is somewhat a mixture of a siren and something else, because different sites and books have different definitions and abilities stated. So I'm choosing the abilities I feel is most suitable. Catching the eye of guys... has nothing to do with the creature (sheepish grin). And it's not every. Mr Alhod didn't think she was some goddess! XD Poor poor Garet, we're evil. I did not count your vote, I assumed you used the poll.

Mercury Gold: Do you think Ivan is the type to be bitter because Isaac insulted him? In actual fact, Isaac didn't mean to. And Isaac wouldn't insult Ivan. And Ivan's not the kind of be bitter at things like that. Annoyed, maybe, but not bitter. At least, in my opinion ;

Kodoku: I checked the poll just before I read your review, and Mudshipping was in the lead Even now, Mudshipping is in the lead, and Mudshipping won, if you hadn't bothered to read above. Yes, the school is rich; in a way, maybe I'm making the school out to be some kind of dream school with all that I like, but... Well, with a principal like Sepians Unus, who is actually XXXXXXXXX, how can the school be bad? Yup, 8A means grade 8. But in this pretty little world, I create my own grades, so people in grade 8 are 15. I'm not sure if it's the same for others. Congratulations for being reviewer number 100! You win... um... a word of congratulations? I'm sorry, I have no prizes...

Spastic Djinn: Yup, you're a 101. Thank you for the review, and you don't have to apologise. I miss other people's chapters all the time.

blackarrow92: I'm sorry, Mudshipping won. Overrun with mudshipping... I don't know. It just means that mudshipping has more fans and valeshipping isn't being recognised. If you're still reading (I would understand if you had hit the 'back' button after seeing that mudshipping won), I hope that you'll continue reading and supporting Creature Changers, even if the pairing is not to your liking. No, it's not Hamma, it's Ivan. Hamma has purple hair. Or violet. Thank you for your support so far (and hopefully in the future).

The Shadowess: Uh, you reviewed without reading? 0o First time I heard of it... Actually, you're 103.

hi: Well, he is shorter and younger than the others. Should I be evil and make Sheba taller than him? XD You're a 104. Man, people like to guess which on they are.

A MErcury adept: Well, normal panthers aren't red, and they don't sprout wings of fire. You'll have to read to see Ivan and Sheba. I think most people would guess that Mia is a mermaid. She's a... wait and see! Ahahah, it's sorta my idea of a dream pool. Please don't explode, it's not good for your health! XD You're number 105! Thank you!

Ponie: Unwittingly, you granted my wish. I know you wouldn't have reviewed, but still... THANK YOU!

Princess Viv: Your favourite character is out! I know how much you love mudshipping, so I suppose the news above got you to dance around in front of your computer? XD Hm... I had never really thought of putting Feizhi in... but I'll think about it. After all, this story has not much plot yet. Yes, the water's to do with her creature, which will be explained later. I added your vote. Thank you for the compliments! Uh, be a dear and tell me what 'jon' means? (sweatdrops)

savinglifelessness: You guessed it. No prizes, I'm afraid. XD

Shiny Milotic: Third person trying to guess Mia, second person saying she's a mermaid. Well, Mia is a... Read to find out. As for the rubies, I have never heard of pink rubies. I read up on gemstones once, and they had a picture of a ruby, _and_ they described it as red. So unless you can give me a source or something, I will continue to believe that rubies are red. If natural rubies are really pink... then I'm doomed. After all, who ever heard of manmade stones in an animal?

crazy-but-fun: Nope, it's not Sheba, it's Ivan. But Sheba will appear soon. What's wrong with Sheba? Why is she evil? You're too late, you're a 110. And you're too early for 124. I wish though.

Wolfune: Nice name! Jenna's not a jaguar, she's a winged panther. The species has a name, but I'm not saying it yet. Fourth person trying to guess Mia, and third to say she's a mermaid. The truth is, Mia is a XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. Please read to find out. As for Ivan... XXXXXXXXXX. You have to read too.

lunarwolvesshadow: Schools suck. I'm trying to make Crystal School as fun as possible. Hope you like it! ...Sort of... This is your favourite story? (eyes become moist) I'm touched, I seriously am...! Well, it's true. Ever seen a djinni use the toilet? Figures and statues are confused sometimes, so why not?

hope: I'm sorry, I just couldn't update in the middle of exams. Yes, thank Judgment you didn't say what she is, and no, she doesn't. It's a slightly different thing with Mia... Garet may be a little thick sometimes, but I'm not bashing him or making him sound like a big fool. Because I really do like and respect Garet, and in a way, he has his own charms. Don't like cookies, they're too sweet. XD Yes well, you're the second person to tell me that Jenna and Spinel can start working paw in paw. I swear, I never thought about it, because I always thought that Spinel resembled a cat... And Spinel has butterfly wings, not flame wings. Lastly, PLEASE try not to double review unless you really have to...!

Trixie's girl: Thank you! I'm continuing (Finally)!

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 11: The New Mysteries

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"My name is Ivan Ray."

Isaac observed the boy. He had blond hair that cradled his face and gave him a rather childish look. Uncommon purple eyes were noticed at once, along with dark feelings that seemed to be trying to hide.

The boy held out his hand, his mouth curving slightly into a smile. Isaac took it.

"I'm Isaac. Isaac Gaia. Pleased to meet you," Isaac said. He noticed Ivan's eyes taking him in, and noticed with a jolt that Ivan was observing him just like he did Ivan.

"Alright, Ivan, why don't you get back to your test?" Kraden said. "See, Sheba didn't get distracted and is still at her paper."

_Sheba? _Isaac looked around the hall. He noticed another unfamiliar face. Or rather, hair. A girl was sitting on the stage, bent over a piece of paper. Her blond hair kept her face hidden as she continued writing.

Ivan snorted. "If she wasn't distracted I'll drink coke. She was probably eavesdropping from over there, before she decides to poke her long nose into others' business."

The face appeared. "Ivan, don't you ever shut up?"

Isaac was startled. Even though her hair had been drooping in front of her a moment ago, as soon as she raised her head, her head looked extremely neat. Every strand of hair retreated obediently to its position so that her head looked round and smooth. She had bright emerald coloured eyes the same shape as Ivan's that sparkled with fun, but Isaac again recognised something bitter in them. As Isaac finished analyzing, he realised that Ivan and Sheba looked extremely alike.

"This is Sheba Jupiter, Grade 7 like Ivan," Kraden introduced with a sigh. "And now, will you two please complete your test?"

"I've already finished it!" Ivan grumbled, returning to his paper.

"So have I!" Sheba agreed, scowling.

"Unfortunately, tests always have to end 'on time', to torture the students with boredom," Kraden said firmly. "Please sit quietly while I work with Jenna."

"Kraden? Can I ask you a question?" Isaac said hurriedly. The panther eyed him.

"You just asked one, but yes, what is it?" Kraden asked.

"Do you know who... or what, 'Zagan' is?"

Kraden looked thoughtful. "I remember reading something about him. He was one of the... ah... Grand Gods, I think. Just a character from the old legends. I don't know much about them. Why?"

"Um... No. It's nothing," Isaac replied. He sighed. "Well then... I'll see you during Changing later."

He headed for the door. Before he opened it, he caught sight of Ivan, who was standing still with a dumbstruck face. Ivan shook himself, then ran over and grabbed Isaac's arm.

"Can you meet me at the playground around the corner after school?" he hissed. Isaac stared at him. "Please. It's important."

"O-okay..." Isaac looked puzzled. He wondered what Ivan wanted. Nodding at Kraden, he left the room.

"He came up here just to ask me about 'nothing'?" Kraden muttered. He turned back to Jenna and raised an eyebrow. "Which reminds me... There's something else. Change back, please."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Settle down!" Miss Malvonite called. "We have something very important to settle here!"

"Whatever she says is 'very important'," Garet muttered as he sat down, grinning.

"What is 'class contact' supposed to be?" Isaac asked.

"Whatever it means, I think. The class gets together to know each other and settle administrative stuff," Garet replied.

"Quiet! Now, our school is going to have a small fund-raising event soon!" Miss Malvonite yelled, trying to make herself heard over the din of her class.

"A fund-raising event?"

"Sounds like fun!"

"Not again..."

"SHUT UP AND LISTEN!"

It was surprising coming from the rather prim and proper Miss Malvonite. The students gulped and kept quiet.

"We will be in charge of food for the first half of the day, along with 9B. This means we will prepare breakfast and lunch," Miss Malvonite barked, still breathing heavily. Composing herself, she glared around the class with a stern eye. "I want a committee to organise everything. We must choose the variety of food we will prepare, the cost of the ingredients, our selling price, and so on. For now, let's choose a committee."

She stepped up to the whiteboard and wrote both 'Rachel' and 'Dave' on it. Then she turned to face the class, twirling the marker around her finger.

"Any volunteers?"

There was no reply. Rachel and Dave grumbled that it was 'not fair'. 

"Fine. Any suggestions?" Miss Malvonite asked.

"Joash!"

"Catherine!"

"Oh yes, get Catherine!"

"Garet!"

"Shut up!" Garet yelled at Joash, who merely grinned.

"Oh, be quiet." Miss Malvonite wrote 'Catherine' onto the board. "I suppose this will have to do. Suggestions for food choices?"

"Bread and peanut butter jam!"

"That's too plain, Amber! Scrambled eggs with sausages!"

"Honeypot ants dipped in hot chocolate!"

The yell was greeted with a chorus of 'eeewwwww!'.

"Order in the classroom!" Miss Malvonite reprimanded sharply. Shaking her head, she began to write. "Really, no one would think that these are sixteen year olds."

"Chicken wings!"

"THEY AREN'T SUITABLE FOR BREAKFAST!" A short, dumpy girl with brown hair and uncountable freckles was looking livid.

"Chill, we're doing lunch too," Joash said, raising an eyebrow.

"Be quiet, Mr Goldring," Miss Malvonite said, frowning. Her eyes moved to the girl, who had stood up. "Miss Trina James, is that right?"

The girl nodded. She was looking at Miss Malvonite defiantly. "And I do not want chicken wings."

"I understand your feelings. They are rather popular, so I will not cancel the suggestion. I assure you that you will not be in charge of chicken wings," Miss Malvonite said.

Trina pursed up her lips tightly and sat down.

"What's her problem? Chicken hater?" Garet asked in a low voice.

"The opposite. Chicken lover," Rachel replied softly. "Her creature's a hen. How would you like it if someone wanted to kill your friends?"

"She really feels deeply for her kind, doesn't she?" Isaac said, shaking his head with a sigh. Changing caused so much trouble. "Considering we have so many changers with different animals, we should just have a vegetarian fair."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Creature creature."

"Changer changer," Isaac and Garet whispered simultaneously. The door opened, and they entered.

The stage of the hall had a new facility: an inflatable plastic pool. It was extremely large; big enough for eight adults to swim in.

"Whoa! What's with the bathtub?" Garet asked.

"Don't be silly," Kraden looked slightly harrassed. "I'm not even sure if this is suitable!"

He walked around the plastic, pulling at his hair.

"Should I put chlorine in it? Or should I put salt in? What am I going to TEACH?"

"Whoa. Kraden's nervous. What's going on?" Garet demanded. Kraden stared at him miserably.

"I have a new student, and I have no idea what I'm supposed to teach. I don't have any experience in the creature!"

Isaac stared at him. "Another mythical?"

"Yes, she's sharing lesson with..." Kraden broke off as three sharp raps landed on the hall doors. "Oh. No. Creature creature?"

"Changer changer." The voice sounded oddly familiar to Isaac. Kraden rushed over to the door and opened it slightly. He peeked out, then gasped.

"Ah, you're here! Please come in!"

Isaac could tell that Kraden was breaking out in cold sweat. He felt amused; he had never seen a teacher get nervous because he did not know what to teach. His amused smile faded as Kraden opened the door wide, and his new student entered.

The girl.

From the PE lesson that morning.

"Wait a minute. Isn't that..." Garet's jaw dropped.

"So, she..." Isaac could see his own jaw dropping.

The girl turned and noticed them. She stared.

"This is Mia Cascade, from class 8A. She will be having lessons with you on Fridays," Kraden introduced.

"Oh, how nice..." Garet seemed to have recovered a little. "Isaac, you must be delighted to have your dream girl in the same Changing class."

"Oh, shut up," Isaac muttered. He remembered the lesson. "Then, that glittering thing..."

He stopped as he noticed the girl's eyes holding an indescribable expression that he could not read. Isaac felt intrigued, and wondered what it meant.

"Isaac, Garet, do your meditation," Kraden instructed. He still looked rather edgy.

Isaac and Garet sat down at the edge of the stage, still rather stunned.

They were even more surprised when Mia climbed into the pool, uniform and all.

"What on earth...?" Garet started, then stopped. A soft blue light had enveloped the girl. When it disappeared Mia still looked the same.

Or almost the same. Her hair was untied and slightly longer, and her skin had turned a light aqua colour. Her eyes were a darker blue, ultramarine; and there were several blue things encrypted at her forehead. And her ears...

_Wait, ears?_ Isaac stared harder. Flat greenish fins rose from either side of Mia's head. 

Only her head rose above the plastic pool.

"What... _is_ she?" Garet asked, his voice cracking. Kraden heard and sighed.

"You boys never give up your curiousity, do you?" he asked. "Mia, do you mind if they..."

"Go ahead and look," Mia said softly, looking away.

Isaac knew the hard tone in her voice. She felt bitter. He wondered if it was really fine for them to look, but before he could answer, Garet had dragged him over. They peered into the water.

_Mermaid._ It was Isaac's first thought. The shiny, silvery blue tail answered all. What he did not expect were two sets of gills on either side of Mia's neck, and two green fins on her wrists.

"Whoa, where'd the clothes go?"

Isaac elbowed Garet hard. He wasn't sure if his face was burning. "Pervert."

Mia had two clam shells covering her chest, like most fairytales stated, and wore a translucent silver shawl like a sash.

"Yes, well, that's another mystery of Changing, isn't it?" Kraden scratched his head. His face was pink, much to Isaac's amazement. "No one knows where the clothes go."

Mia said nothing. Isaac again wondered what she was thinking.

Kraden climbed into the pool as well. He changed.

$Now, Mia, please try to throw me out of the pool. I will attempt to do the same.$

It was still eerie to hear the voice coming out of nowhere. Mia looked startled. Then she recovered, and dived.

There was not much space in the tiny pool, but it was enough for Mia to chase after a gracefully swimming Kraden and grab him by the tail. Kraden flexed his tail, and Mia's hand lost its grip. He swum below her and began pushing up. Mia was lifted clear of the water, and with another push, she tumbled out of the plastic pool and landed on the floor.

"...That was fast," Garet said, astounded.

Mia struggled to push herself up with her arms behind her back. Isaac immediately knelt down beside her and helped her sit, supporting her shoulders. Mia stared at him for a while.

"Thank you," she said quietly. She looked up as Kraden shot out of the pool and landed with a heavy thump on the wood. He changed back

"Well, I suppose that settles it," Kraden said, looking depressed. "Combat's not for you."

Mia looked away. "... Is that so?"

"Well, I have no idea. My dear, I apologise. I know so little about mermaids, you see..." Kraden sighed. "Physical capabilities... I'll research on it, don't you worry. Please take a rest while I deal with Isaac and Garet."

He turned to the boys

"I see you're in no mood to meditate. All right then, Garet, you can do this theory worksheet-" Kraden handed out two pieces of printed paper to him- "And Isaac, you will read through chapter one of your textbook."

Kraden then rummaged through a few folders.

"Oh dear. I don't seem to have brought it... I'm heading for the staff room. I'll be back soon though, so slack while you can!"

With that astonishing sentence, Kraden left the hall.

Mia stared after him, an incredulous look on her face that said 'I-can't-believe-he's-a-teacher'.

"So, your name is Mia?" Garet said cautiously. "I didn't mean it about the clothes..."

"It's all right. You're not the first one to comment about it," Mia replied dryly, pulling at her sash. "Yes, my name is Mia, and you are...?"

"Garet Mars," Garet answered. "And this is Isaac Gaia."

Isaac wondered why Garet had to answer for him. (A/N: Aha, we've all been wondering about this, haven't we?)

"Yes, I know," Mia folded her lips, looking slightly amused. "Georgina, Harriet and Celandine have done nothing but talk about you today."

Isaac found the names unfamiliar.

"Oh, you mean the girls that saw him in the pool?" Garet began to chuckle.

Then Isaac blushed. "And you listened to them?"

Mia stared at him. "You don't like it?"

"Like what? Having girls after me?" Isaac thought that it was absurd and ridiculous. "I'd rather spend an eternity listening to Agatio than that."

Mia continued to stare at him. Then she grinned.

It was the first time that Isaac had seen her smile, and he was taken aback by the difference it made in her face. Her blue eyes sparkled as she tossed her hair over one shoulder and chuckled.

"I had to see him to get the homework I missed," she admitted. "And I agree. He droned on for so long I didn't know how I could stand it!"

"You missed school? Why?" Garet asked.

"I was recovering from mumps on the first day," Mia explained. "Yesterday was my first day in school here."

_No wonder Miss Sophie Apolls only asked for Kraden yesterday. She hadn't known until her lesson started...  
_  
"Which school did you go to before you came?" Garet asked.

To Isaac's surprise, Mia's eyes lost their twinkle. She looked away.

"I didn't go to school. I had a governess," she replied softly. Then she withdrew from the conversation and took out her Changing textbook to read.

Isaac knew that something was definitely wrong. Garet had apparently noticed it as well. He glanced at Isaac, mouthing 'what did _I_ do?' Thankfully, Isaac's skill at reading lips was better than his mother's, and he had no difficulty in understanding. He shook his head, and stared wondered at Mia's mysterious behavior. They and the fact that Mia's book was upside down made it clear that she was deeply shaken by Garet's question.

The two boys returned to their own tasks, puzzled. Isaac looked up from his book from time to time. He didn't have to concentrate on the book; Kraden had already explained it on his first day. Mia continued to hide behind her book, sitting a few feet away from him. He wondered if she would still sit near him if she had legs at that moment.

Sighing, Isaac bent over his book again. Then he heard something. It was a soft note. Then several quiet mumbles. Instinctively, his ears strained to catch the voice.

Suddenly, Isaac felt it. Something excruciating slammed into him.

He gasped.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Finally, another chapter up!

It's holidays now, so hopefully I'll be able to update more often. Yes, this chapter was quite short, but it's in the middle of the night now and I badly want to get this up.

Hopefully the long wait hasn't caused many of you to forget this...

Daidairo


	12. The Past, the Present, and the Future

Creature Changers

And another chapter up! Much faster this time, because the previous one is too short.

I didn't get as many reviews this time... Looks like the older ones really forgot about this fic, or else they wanted Valeshipping and dropped this like a hot potato. (sigh)

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun, Camelot does. I wonder how many people asked to buy Isaac from them?

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Princess Viv: Yes, another cliffy. I think by now you'll realise that all my chapters end with a cliffhanger. XD Typing errors are common, and I'm not blaming you, I was just confused. Are you _sure_ you love Mia? I'd expect you to say that Isaac deserves her more. XD; In a way, the mystery seems kind of OOC, but considering what Mia was put through... Well, you'll have to read and see! Most people managed to guess what Mia is. It's rather obvious, and at first I wondered what reactions would there be if I had her change into an octopus. XDDD 

Kodoku: Really? You mean it? YAY! I have an unpredictable cliffhanger! (dances) Ahem. Are there signs of mudshipping? Because I hadn't really decided to put romance in yet. I suppose it was the Isaac-being-a-nice-guy bit. What's a zora? Can you describe it? Or is there a picture? (is hopelessly clueless when it comes to Zelda games)

Wolfune: Oh yes. Evil cliffhangers make you want to strangle the author, but you know that if you do, there won't be a next chapter. So no one will be able to kill me for putting up cliffhangers! (raises fingers in victory sign) Thank you for the compliment! I'm glad I'm improving!

raitei: Thank you... Your comments always mean so much to me I'm glad you enjoy Creature Changers so much! Yes, well, most people would've expected Mia to be a mermaid. And like I said in my comment to Viv-hime, what would have happened if Mia was an octopus? XDDD 'Cascade' is supposed to be a verb used to state that a waterfall is splashing down. As for Ivan... His psynergy inspired me! At first I asked a friend for a last name, and she said "Hoe" because of "Ivanhoe". -- Some friend. XDXD I have no idea what mumps are like, I just threw it in. ;

Shiny Milotic: You think Sheba will get a unicorn? Well... wind and unicorn somehow don't seem to fit properly to me. I'm sorry to hear that you're feeling poorly, hope you get well soon! Even for dark pink... I'm not sure. And as for lighthouseshipping, you have to wait and see!

Trixie's girl: Thank you.

Mercury Gold: XD Very nice comment indeed! I laughed my head off when I read it! Siren and mermaid have been confused for each other many times before, due to different beliefs, myths and legends in different cultures and stories. In a way, most changers have been through quite a lot. In a way, that's quite angsty and clichey (I know the word doesn't exist) but it's believable. Here's my update!

Aegis Blade: I already added lots of OCs. All the classmates of Isaac, and the teachers. Unless you mean putting an OC as one of the main characters, but that probably wouldn't happen. Fanfiction is about writing on official work, and if I put in my own character as the main one, then it'd be my story. I don't think other people who are after fanfiction on their favourite characters would be interested in reading about my own character, would they? ; If you want more characters, well, I would definitely be bringing more in.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 12: The Past, the Present, and the Future

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The pain pierced him like an arrow, and sadness began to crowd him. Loneliness and confusion stung him repeatedly as soft, lyricless music flowed through his ears.

Isaac forced himself to open his eyes. Bracing himself with his hands, he looked around. Garet was oblivious to what was going on, and was working on his worksheet with a frown. Isaac turned his gaze to Mia, who was still hiding behind her book.

Looking at her, Isaac could tell that she was the one responsible for the song. He winced as he felt her despair. Mia felt alone, unwanted, abandoned. And she was putting it in her song. Through the music, Isaac could feel the heartache she was experiencing, and he was shocked beyond words.

Finally, Mia stopped singing. She abruptly put down her book and looked straight at Isaac. Her blue eyes looked bewildered as she noticed him gasping softly.

"You... felt that?" she asked uncertainly.

Isaac nodded, unsure of what to say. "How... how did that happen?"

"I don't know... I've never done that before..." Mia stammered. Garet finally looked up.

"What's wrong with you two?" he demanded. Both shook their heads.

"It's... complicated," Isaac said. Garet snorted.

"That's what they all say. Out with it," he ordered.

"It's nothing to do with him!" Mia insisted. "He just heard me."

"Heard you doing what? I didn't hear anything at all. There's DEFINITELY something weird going on here. I smell a fish." Garet sat up and folded his arms, raising his eyebrow in a manner saying 'Talk'. 

Before Isaac could reply, the hall doors burst open, causing all three changers to jump half a dozen feet into the air. They landed with a bump as Kraden poked his head in.

"I'm back!" he announced cheerily. Entering, he shut the door and stared at his students. "What's the matter?"

"Isaac and Mia are acting strangely," Garet blurted. Kraden looked interested.

"Indeed?"

"It's just that... I think that the mermaid's power lies in her voice," Isaac explained.

Even Mia was stunned.

"Mermaid? Voice? As in, the stories where mermaids lure sailors to their deaths with harps and singing? As in, siren?" Kraden asked, frowning. "How do you know that?"

Isaac was about to explain when he caught Mia's expression. She shook her head lightly; she didn't want to explain.

All right then, he wouldn't tell.

"I... I'm guessing. It comes from the old myths after all," Isaac replied. He noticed Mia's shoulders relax in relief, and wondered why she didn't want to tell.

As well as why she was experiencing so much pain in the first place.

"I'm no music teacher myself... And I have no idea how it works... I'll have to research more on this," Kraden sighed. "Mia, maybe you should just work on theory for now. Change back and read the first chapter of your textbook."

Mia nodded and obediently obeyed. Kraden turned to Garet.

"Finish up your worksheet."

Then he caught hold of Isaac's arm and pulled him off the stage. Surprised, the blond followed him to a corner of the hall.

"Now. I've heard from Jenna what happened yesterday night."

"She... told you?" Isaac was surprised.

"Well... it was more of a report. Nowadays, whenever abnormal things happen, changers get blamed," Kraden rubbed his head absently. "So I'd already heard that some robbers were chased away. I asked Jenna because the robbers had actually tried to report you guys for assault. Even though they were at fault. Djinn were involved according to Jenna. I assume that's why you asked about Zagan?"

Isaac nodded. "I borrowed a book from the library that had a picture of Zagan. He's the one that appeared last night. But Rachel Aishaw said that books with red tags aren't allowed to be borrowed unless a teacher gives permission, so she took it."

"Ah, yes. She's one of the students that help out at the library, and she takes her job very seriously indeed," Kraden rubbed his nose. "Tell you what, I'll go search for that book. Where did you find it?"

"Under 'Medieval'. It's called 'Old Legends'," Isaac replied.

"All right, I'll go see. Now, I hear that you didn't want to attack those robbers because they aren't changers?"

Isaac nodded again. He had already heard from Felix. "Next time, I'll change..."

"Actually, what you did was right," Kraden interrupted. "When your djinn went for those robbers, they reported you. Imagine what would have happened if you had changed."

"But..."

"Yes, you should stand up for yourself. But keep in mind that you have to be sensible as well. After all, if you had changed, and they weren't frightened by the sight of you, do you think you could have defeated them? They, who were armed with guns?"

Isaac was silent.

"You must do what you think is best. But always think before you act. Okay? Now, get back to your book while I lecture Mia on the dangers of coke."

Isaac nodded. Inwardly, he wondered what he thought was best.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Ivan was sitting on a wooden bench near the sand pit when Isaac arrived. He smiled and patted the wood next to him. Isaac sat down on the mahogany, placing his sling bag on his lap.

"So... what do you want to talk about?"

Ivan sighed. He clasped both hands together.

"You mentioned the name 'Zagan' to Master Kraden, didn't you?" Ivan asked. "I overheard his conversation with Jenna Venus. What made you think that the lion that appeared is Zagan?"

There was an urgency in Ivan's voice. He needed to know what was happening.

"I borrowed a book from the library this morning," Isaac explained. "It showed a picture of the lion, and said that Zagan was one of the Grand Gods."

Ivan clenched his fingers. He looked up. Isaac saw his purple eyes tense.

"Do your djinn know anything about Zagan?" he asked.

"No. They seem to have lost their memories of the past," Isaac replied. He was beginning to feel worried as well.

"And Zagan... what did he do when he appeared?"

"He attacked those robbers with his axe. Then... I suppose he disappeared," Isaac replied, thinking hard. "I can't remember... I don't think I noticed. Flint and Ground don't know either. They say that it was the first time they saw Zagan."

Ivan stared at the sand, clutching both hands so hard that his knuckles turned white. He mumbled to himself as he creased his forehead. Then he turned to Isaac.

"I'm going to explain as much as I know. But I must ask you to keep it under your hat, is that okay?" he asked.

"I don't really wear hats, but okay."

Ivan smiled slightly. Then his expression reverted to 'solemn'.

"Long ago, immortals called the Creators created the world. They created Earth, they created the elements, and they created the dinosaurs. They are frequently referred to as gods. But in actual fact, they are not perfect either. They were known as Iris, Ezul, Charon and Catastrophe."

"But why would a creator be called 'Catastrophe'? Isaac asked, confused. "It doesn't make sense." 

"Well, it does if you look at it differently. They create the balance on Earth. For the same amount of positive power, there must be an equal amount of negative power to balance things. So disasters were often thrown in," Ivan explained. A red ball belonging to several toddlers flew towards him. Catching it absently and throwing it back to its owners, he continued.

"The Creators created other immortals. They walked the Earth, doing as they pleased, playing with the dinosaurs and so on. They never aged, hence their title, though they weren't immune to death. Out of the many immortals that existed, eight were named Grand Gods. They each upheld a certain virtue of the heart... I'm not so sure about that either. Basically, they were in charge of making sure that peace was kept within the world."

Ivan paused. A frown entered his face.

"But through an accident, a powerful evil immortal was created. He called himself Doom, and he did everything he could to ruin the peace on Earth. Wanting to mock the Grand Gods, Doom created an immortal himself. He named his creation Neptune, to be in charge of 'Fate', because he said that fate cannot be defied. Neptune was indeed powerful; once he said he would win, he was unbeatable. Many immortals were killed by him. The immortals quickly tried to create someone who could defeat Neptune. They wanted to create someone who held 'Miracles'."

"Why miracles?" Isaac asked.

"Because only a miracle can defy fate," Ivan explained patiently. "One of the Grand Gods, Thor, was a Seer. He had a premonition that Neptune would rise and take over the world in the future, when the immortals no longer exist to stop him. Worried, Thor wrote two books to warn the future. He began to create humans and animals, while the other immortals worked on the Miracles immortal, named the Wise One. But then, the immortals disappeared. No one ever heard of them again."

He stopped. Isaac was silent. He didn't know whether to believe Ivan's unbelievable story or not. It sounded extremely farfetched.

"How do you know all that?"

"My sister found one of Thor's books. She... she seems to have inherited Thor's ability of seeing into the future," Ivan replied rather hesitantly. "She could faintly see the world filled with darkness... due to Neptune."

"I'm supposed to believe that?" Isaac was feeling overwhelmed with information and rather blank at the same time.

"It's up to you whether you believe it or not. The thing is, Zagan was one of the Grand Gods. When you mentioned him, I wondered if he was still alive. With the Grand Gods, we still have a chance of defeating Neptune if he rises. Without them..."

"Ivan. Listen. Can I voice my opinion?" Isaac asked. Seeing his companion's nod, he went on. "I don't think anyone has ever heard of these immortals. You said yourself that they disappeared. Is it possible that Neptune and Doom disappeared with them as well? We don't have to worry about them if they don't exist. I know Thor saw Neptune in his, um, premonition, but if something unexpected had happened, he wouldn't have had time to write it down, would he?"

"Even if I don't trust Thor, I trust my sister," Ivan replied. His eyes were full of trust as he spoke of her. "She would never lie to me about such things... And if she saw Neptune causing trouble, I believe that Neptune will cause trouble. And he can strike anytime."

Silence reigned as Isaac tried to understand the information that were flooding his mind. More kids were entering and leaving the playground, laughing, shouting, enjoying themselves; totally unaware of the terrible plight the Earth was in according to Ivan.

"So... what are you going to do about it?" Isaac asked, breaking the silence.

"I have no idea. I had hoped that the immortals were alive... but we have to ask the djinn. Otherwise, we just have to wait for Neptune to strike, and make sure we are ready to defend ourselves."

"So... wouldn't it be better to let other people know about this?" Isaac asked.

"If Neptune knew that we knew of his plans, he would probably attack now," Ivan objected. "It's better to bide our time and wait. We also have to find the other book that Thor wrote. I believe it might say something more."

He stared at Isaac significantly.

"You think... you think the book I borrowed is the one that Thor wrote?" Isaac asked, taken aback. "Kraden said he'll look for it."

"We'll have to check it out. Are you going to school tomorrow?" Ivan asked.

"Yes. Club orientation, and I'm a new student," Isaac replied.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then. Remember, tell no one what I said," Ivan said quietly. He got up and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Isaac called. He stood up as well. Ivan turned and stared at him inquiringly.

"Why did you trust me? The fact that I knew about Zagan could mean that I'm an accomplice of Neptune," Isaac said. Ivan eyed him.

"Because I didn't think you're the sort," Ivan answered. With that confusing sentence, he turned and left. Isaac stared after him, puzzled.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Immortals?" Flint looked thoughtful. "Nope, haven't heard of them."

He had recovered from the stunt he pulled with Shine the night before, much to Isaac's relief.

"We really really don't know who that Zagan lion guy is," Ground agreed.

"It's really strange..." Isaac rested his chin on his left knee as he stared down at the djinn on his bed.

"We could try doing it again," Flint suggested.

"No way." Isaac's voice was firm. "I won't allow you to risk your safety."

"But Isaac, how will you find Zagan then?" Flint insisted.

"There'll be another solution. We just have to find that book," Isaac said, much more confidently than he felt.

"Hopefully," Ground stared at Flint. He nodded back.

"Well then, have an early night. You still have school tomorrow, right?" Flint said.

"Yup. Choosing clubs."

"Going for the potball again?" Ground asked excitedly. "You'll be the star!"

Isaac laughed.

"Nah, I'm not that good. But yes, basketball is fun. I might try for soccer, though. Garet said it's fun too."

"Uh huh, uh huh. And if Dora says Dance Club is fun you'd join Dance too," Ground said. "Really, really, you have to decide for yourself!"

"Yes, yes, I know, I know. Gosh, I'm starting to sound like you, Ground!" Isaac said in mock horror. "Now the world is coming to an end!"

Flint laughed. Ground looked exasperated.

Isaac grinned.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Isaac looked around the basketball court. He was amazed at the number of people interested in joining Basketball. The court design was simple but effective, and Isaac could tell that much money had been spent on it.

The teacher in charge was a tall blond boy in a red sleeveless shirt and long track pants. He had dark green eyes and was holding a blue clipboard. Smiling at the new students around, he raised his voice to get their attention.

"All right, everyone! Gather for instructions, please!" he called.

As Isaac began to move towards him, he sensed something behind him. Instinctively, he turned and raised his right hand.

It was orange, and it was spinning.

Isaac whacked it.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

A/N: Well, that's it! Evil cliffhanger again, ho ho ho!

Piers: You're not even old enough to be Santa.

Oh be quiet. Now, I'm hungry for reviews! Even though I'll probably update regardless of the review count, I still long for reviews... So press that cute button there that's inviting you to.

Cheers!

Daidairo


	13. Birthmark Attacked

Creature Changers

All right, another chapter up! Holidays are great, aren't they? -

Goodbye to my lighthearted idea. This fic is now too serious. (sighs)

Now, everyone seems to have been confused between sirens and mermaids. Like I mentioned in a reviewer's response, different cultures and myths have different sayings about it. One of them says that sirens lost in a singing competition, and had their feathers plucked as a punishment, so they turned the bottom half of their body into a fish tail. In a way, I'm adapting my mermaid from this, as well as from another myth where mermaids mesmerize with song and sirens don't exist.

Disclaimer: The previous chapter had a mermaid. How about a 'disclaimaid' this time round? ... I don't own Golden Sun. And mermaids don't own Golden Sun. They'd dehydrate if they touched one.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

raitei: Explanation of the mermaid is above. If I remember correctly, it's Ezul... Then again, I might have been mistaken. XD

Kodoku: Yes, serious... It was first started to be light hearted... The mermaid and siren, please see above. And yes, basketball is a nice guess.

Trixie's girl: Thank you for the review.

Mercury Gold: I wouldn't call that seducing... ; Again, the mermaid and siren, see above. Thank you for the review!

Wolfune: Does that mean you didn't review chapter 11 because I posted chapter 12 too early? Oh dear. 1 review less! XD;; Ahem. Thank you for the compliment!

Shiny Milotic: Do you know, you're one of the cleverest guesser. And yes, I'll probably do lighthouseshipping. Maybe. Felix and Sheba haven't even met yet! Give me some time! XD

Yuja: If Isaac got a break, it wouldn't be nice anymore. XD In a way, we authors live to torture.

Ponie: Why do you hate mermaids? If it's because of the old stories, well, I won't let Mia be a classical mermaid. She'll be different. The wish granting is because you were the 106 reviewer.

EarthAd3pt17: Excuse me, I updated 12 a few days after 11. And don't be mean about Viv-hime. Some people actually take time to think through their story and organise it, rather than type every piece of random thought that comes to their mind. Add that to the time taken to live our own lives, and we don't have enough to spend on writing each day, though we may try to boot other things out. If you know people who update quickly, like once everyday, the person either has very short chapters, or types whatever random crap he can think of, or doesn't have a life, or already has the chapters typed out and is slowly posting them on. I'm none of those, and neither is Viv-hime, so don't expect us to be speed writers. It's quality and not speed that counts. Sorry if you're looking for a regular fic.

savinglifelessness: In a way, I suppose I'll have both. Considering I haven't plotted it out yet, probably there will be different parts where different things happen. It's okay about the reviews, just hit the button whenever you can.

...: Spooky? In bright daylight? XD

lunarwolvesshadow: You reviewed both chapters! Most people just review the latest one... (including me sometimes) This adds to my review count! Thank you! Personality doesn't determine the creature. Like I said to raitei, I could've made Mia an octopus. :D Hope your health is feeling better. By the way, many of the other reviewers always try to guess my cliffhangers. It might help if you read them after reading the fic, because many of them get my cliffhangers correct. ; Which is sad for me. Kraden meant the cola. If you refer back to chapter 5: More About Changers; More than Fun, you'll see that Coca-Cola (or coke) is dangerous to changers. I'd cry if I made Mia a druggie... ;

Princess Viv: Oh dear... No Internet access! I sympathise... I couldn't keep Mia in all the time after all; the other characters need to shine too! Rest assured Mia will appear in this chapter!

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 13: Birthmark Attacked

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The basketball flew off and hit the fence, rebounding back to the court. Several new students leapt hastily out of the way, proving that they weren't suitable for Basketball; that they panicked and ran at the sight of a ball.

When the teacher, with enough sense in him, caught the bouncing attacker, he frowned in Isaac's direction.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?" he demanded.

"Sorry, I..." Isaac was surprised when the teacher ignored his words and walked past him. Turning, he saw a familiar scowl.

"Briggs Kaek!"

"It was an accident, Mr Kent," The singlet-clad boy said sullenly.

"If you had hit someone, he could have gotten badly hurt!" Mr Kent said sternly. "As a member of the team, you should know that."

"Yes, Mr Kent. I'm sorry," Briggs said, clenching his fists behind his back. Mr Kent sighed.

"Be careful next time," he warned. Then he turned to Isaac. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," Isaac replied. The blond nodded and turned back to the crowd of students.

"Alright, line yourselves up. Four per line, facing that net."

As Isaac hurried to obey, he saw the look of acute dislike that Briggs shot at him.

_So it wasn't an accident. Should I have expected that...? He's in the team too... so I'd have to work with him if I make it?_

"Now, listen carefully. Every line will face three members from our Basketball Team. Your task is to work together and shoot the ball into the basket on the other side of the court. Your opponents will try to steal the ball and score in the same basket, so keep your guard up," Mr Kent explained. He turned to the first four students on his left. "All right, you four, step up and spread yourselves out."

Isaac watched carefully as the team of four tried to score. He noticed that the members of the Team worked well with each other, and made use of the fact that the new students barely knew each other. Finally, one of the new students managed to put the ball neatly through the basket, and Mr Kent stopped the match.

"Hopefully we'll get in," one of the boys in Isaac's line said nervously. He had short black hair that resembled a watermelon, and wore thick glasses. "My mom will kill if I don't."

"Oh, come on, Max. Is it your mom entering or you entering?" the second boy asked impatiently. He looked confident as he stood with his hands on his hips. "If you're not interested in Basketball you shouldn't be here."

"Yeah, what he said," the last boy echoed. He glanced at Isaac. "Hey you. What's your name?"

"Me? I'm Isaac Gaia," Isaac replied. "Nice to meet you."

"I'm Zach Thomas. That's Max Thornwosh and Lance Ackerman," the brunette introduced. "And we're all in 7B. What about you?"

"I'm in 9A."

All three boys turned to look at him.

"Are you sure you should be in Basketball? You don't look very tall for your age," Max commented. Isaac felt rather indignant.

"You don't have to be a giant to play ball."

"Forget about that. Are you a transfer student then?" Lance asked. "Kicked out of your school because you're a Changer or something?"

"Yeah. That about sums it up," Isaac admitted. Lance was extremely... straightfoward.

"I'd say this school's not too bad," Zach said. "In fact, it's richer than my old school and the teachers are nicer."

"All right, next!" Mr Kent called before Isaac could reply. Obediently, the four students moved towards him and gave their names.

Out of the corner of his eye, Isaac noticed Briggs talking to one of the boys on the court. He nodded and left the area, leaving Briggs to take his place.

Isaac gulped; he had a feeling that Briggs was after him._ Don't let him get under your skin, Isaac... _he said to himself.

"Begin!" 

Zach grabbed the ball and began dribbling it. Seeing two opponents approach, he passed the ball to Max, who dropped it promptly.

"Butterfingers! Buck up!" Lance called, snatching the ball from the air and continuing on. Max looked crestfallen. Soon all three opponents had caught up to Lance, and he bounced the ball towards Isaac.

Catching the spinning sphere of orange neatly, Isaac ran for the basket. He turned slightly and noticed his two opponents approach slowly on either side.

But he was still faster than them.

Racing ahead, Isaac prepared to shoot. Max was hovering near the basket as well, anxiously running towards him.

Then Zach yelled. "LOOK OUT!"

And Max tripped. With a yell, he fell. One hand struck out and whacked Isaac on the ankle. Caught off-guard, Isaac stumbled and tripped as well. Quickly, he changed the position of his fingers. The basketball left his hands and flew towards the basket.

What he had expected (or hoped) was that the ball would go into the basket. That happened. What he had _not_ expected was that Briggs would soar over his head and land with an 'OOF!' in front of him. That happened too.

"Um... What... is going on?" Isaac asked, bewildered.

"Get off me!" Max cried weakly. Isaac quickly rolled off him and stood up, looking sheepish. Zach and Lance came running up to them.

"Of all the nerve!" Lance said, glaring at Briggs and shaking his head. "Even if he IS a senior, how can he be so mean!"

"What happened?" Isaac asked.

"He was going to pounce on you. You know, like a cat does? He sneaked up on you from directly behind, and then he jumped," Zach explained. "But you tripped over Max and fell, so he missed and just flew over your head. Now he looks like he's kissing the ground."

Isaac raised an eyebrow as he visualised the scene. Briggs, sneaking up on him. Him, holding the ball. Max, tripping. Then him tripping over Max. And then Briggs jumping right over his head. And molesting the floor.

Then he laughed.

Mr Kent came running up. He looked livid.

"Briggs! What on earth were you thinking?" he demanded. "Pouncing is not part of basketball!"

Briggs lifted himself from the ground, looking embarrassed. Many of the new students were sniggering, and he sent them a glare.

Mr Kent looked from Briggs to Isaac, then frowned.

"I don't care what trouble lies between you. Violence is not a solution. You had no right to attack him like that," he said to Briggs as calmly as he could. "From now on, I wish to see both of you working amicably together. Do you understand me, Briggs Kaek?"

Briggs opened his mouth to argue, then as he saw Mr Kent's stern face, closed it and nodded sullenly.

_Work... together? _Isaac wondered.His unasked question was answered when the teacher turned to him.

"That last minute flick was excellent. You're accepted into the team," Mr Kent told him, smiling. "Please hand me your identity crystal."

Dumbfounded, Isaac plucked the crystal from his pocket and handed it to the teacher, who pressed a finger to the pointy tip.

"Isaac Gaia, 9A? Basketball, by orders of Kureta Kent," he announced. Then his index finger traced something on the surface of the crystal. It glowed slightly for a while. Mr Kent handed it back. He asked Zach for his crystal as well, and promptly accepted him into the team.

"All right. You may go home or haunt the other places. No one else can recruit you now, though. The crystal will stop them if they try." Mr Kent turned to the remainder of the students. "Next!"

"Good work!" Zach congratulated, patting him on the back. "I must admit, I'm impressed. I expected the ball to fly elsewhere when you tripped."

Isaac grinned. His smile faded when he saw Lance's jealous face. Silently, he turned and left the court.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Wandering around, Isaac noticed a familiar redhead yelling on the field. 

"SHOOT! Yes, you over there! SHOOOOOOOT!"

Isaac went over and tapped him on the shoulder. He snapped around.

"SHOOT!" Garet bellowed, defeaning Isaac and blowing his hair to one side unrealistically. When he saw who it was, he stopped. "Oh, it's you."

"Yes, it's me," Isaac said, amused. "What are you doing yelling like a sniper?"

"No no no, not guns! Shoot as in shoot the goal!" Garet replied enthusiastically. Isaac shook his head , grinning. He looked around the field at the tryouts for Soccer. Mr Quertz was calmly intructing several nervous young wrecks on the proper way to kick a ball.

"There doesn't seem to be many people trying out," Isaac commented. Garet shrugged.

"It's a small school after all. There aren't many entries per year, so this is sort of expected. Say, what did you go for?"

"Basketball."

The next thing Isaac knew, Garet had sat on him. Hard.

"You went for Basketball and not Soccer! BASKETBALL!" Garet yelled.

"Cut it out!" Isaac gasped. "I've never been trained in soccer!"

Garet released him. "Bother! And here I was hoping we'd have someone nice in the team."

Rubbing his shoulder, Isaac asked, "Aren't the others in the team nice?"

"Well, sort of... But they're too competitive. They all want to be the one that scores the winning goal, so they only try their hardest in the last five minutes of the game," Garet frowned. "Because people only talk about winning goals."

Staring at the balls being kicked randomly around, both boys sighed.

"Hey, Isaac, why don't you run off to the Archery room?" Garet suggested. "Tell me what Felix and Piers are doing."

Isaac saw the wicked gleam in his eyes. "Felix and Piers are in Archery?"

"Yup." 

"What are you planning?"

"Oh, nothing," Garet replied innocently. "Just that I'd like to hear how they're helping their club gain members."

Eyebrows raised suspiciously, Isaac nodded agreement. He left the field and headed for the Archery room on the other side of the school. As he passed the Health room, he noticed Jenna inside bandaging an unhurt arm with deft skill. As she twisted the knot tightly, her victim winced sharply.

"I'm going to get a real injury!" he complained.

"Oh, be quiet. It's supposed to be tight!" Jenna said crossly.

Looking up, she saw Isaac and waved. He waved back and continued up the stairs to the second floor.

"La la la la la..."

Astonished, Isaac turned to look through an open door. A grand piano stood at one end of the room, and a sophisticated looking lady dressed in bright yellow kept on hand on the piano keys and the other hand in the air. An extremely pissed looking Ivan was standing in front of her and eyeing her waving hand with much distaste. As he noticed Isaac, he shot the older boy a look that said 'how-come-you-don't-have-to-do-this!'.

Isaac chuckled. He turned to go, then noticed Mia leaving through another door that led to the same place.

"Mia!"

The blue haired girl turned. When she saw who it was, she stopped and waited for him to walk over.

"Are you trying out for choir too?" she asked.

"No. I saw a friend in there and looked in."

"That young blond? Miss Aerolker saw him loitering and dragged him in without his consent," Mia said, grinning. Isaac laughed.

"No wonder he was looking so... gloomy," he commented.

"That's an understatement," Mia said solemnly. They chuckled. "I'd better get going."

"See you!" Isaac continued past Mia and headed for the Archery door.

Garet had apparently guessed what was happening in the room. Felix and Piers were both surrounded by groups of girls asking them to demonstrate the correct way of using bows. Even the teacher in charge was looking frustrated.

Isaac chuckled.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Stop right there!"

Mia eyed the three girls that had appeared in front of her.

"Talinth, Miriam and Reane. What is the matter?" she asked.

"The Matter?" Talinth, the first girl, echoed.

"The Matter is that _you_ ruined _our_ dates!" Miriam screeched.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Mia said quietly.

"She says she has no idea. Well, listen up, FREAK, you landed our boyfriends in detention when we had a triple date on. It was so embarrassing when we waited at the bar and no one turned up!" Reane exclaimed.

"We know what you are," Miriam said dangerously, her eyes shining. "You mutant."

Mia clenched her fists. "Name calling won't get you anywhere. I'm not as weak as that."

"She says she's not as weak as that," Talinth echoed. "Oh yeah?"

Miriam and Reane hoisted up a large bucket and poured its dark contents over Mia. As she sputtered, Talinth and Miriam grabbed hold of both her arms in a tight grip. As some of the liquid ran into Mia's mouth, she choked.

"Coke...! What are you..."

"Maybe this will teach you to stay away from our boyfriends!" Reane triumphantly brought down her hand hard on Mia's right hand. The blue haired girl froze. Her tormentors released her.

"So it's true, eh?" Miriam said nervously.

"Don't be a coward!" Talinth said scornfully. Just then, footsteps sounded. "Come on, let's go."

The three turned and left, leaving a motionless Mia on the ground.

Shaking visibly with anger, Isaac and Piers rushed towards the paralysed changer.

"They hit her birthmark," Piers said grimly. "I'll get Miss Bolloska."

"Piers, wait," Isaac called urgently. "Get Kraden instead."

Piers looked confused, then realised what Isaac meant, and nodded. He ran off, yelling to Felix about an emergency.

Isaac eyed at the flower shaped mark on Mia's hand. It was easily seen.

"You need gloves," he muttered angrily. _How could those girls do this?   
_  
It wasn't long before Kraden and Piers came racing up the stairs.

"Oh, dear!" Kraden groaned. "Carry her to the pool, quick!"

Piers stared at him, puzzled. Isaac picked Mia up and followed Kraden down the steps as carefully as he could.

"Why pool?" Piers asked as he moved.

"Mer... mer... maid..." Kraden panted. Piers still looked puzzled.

"Maid?"

"Mermaid!" Isaac said.

"Oh. I thought Kraden was stammering. M-m-maid. Mer-maid. Wait, mermaids are 'creatures'?"

The trio continued ignoring surprised glances and curious looks. Thankfully, the pool was empty. Isaac laid Mia in the shallow water. They watched her anxiously. Kraden took Mia's hand and rubbed water over her birthmark.

"She needs gloves," he said, shaking his head. "It's too dangerous for her to go without. What exactly happened?"

"Some girls attacked her for some reason. We didn't hear everything. One of them hit her birthmark, then they ran away," Isaac explained bitterly.

"And it looks like they poured cola over her too," Piers said grimly. "You should have a word with Talinth Garruth. She'll spill on her friends all right."

"You know them?" Kraden asked, opening a small glass flask.

"One of them. Talinth shot an arrow into my butt on the day she auditioned," Piers said grimly. "And then she wanted to 'pull it out for me'. I nearly shot _her_."

If things weren't serious, Isaac would have laughed. So he stored up the knowledge to laugh later, and continued watching Mia anxiously. Kraden poured some of the powdery substance from the flask onto Mia's birthmark.

"What's that?" Isaac asked.

"Flour. It helps a little. Better than nothing, at least," Kraden replied. "I only hope she hasn't swallowed much coke..."

She had not. As they waited, Mia slowly changed. Her birthmark shrank and seemed to disappear.

"So use flour when paralysed?" Isaac asked.

"Yes, I think she'll be fine. Thank goodness. Flour does very little, but it does help," Kraden said, pulling Mia onto ground. "Mia, can you hear me?"

Slowly, she nodded. Her eyes still looked glassy and out of focus.

"It'll take some time. Just rest," Kraden instructed.

"What's the water for?" Isaac asked.

"Her creature is more used to being in water. It would be easier for her to recover if she was in the water," Piers explained. He glanced at his watch. "I've got to get back to the tryouts, or Miss Bolloska and Felix will skin me."

"All right then. You make a move first. I'll talk to her about it, don't worry," Kraden said.

"What about Felix?" Isaac asked.

"Piers will just have to deal with him alone," Kraden said lightly. Piers threw a pebble at him.

As Mia sat unsteadily up, the pebble hit her forehead.

"Oh dear. Did that hurt?" Kraden gulped worriedly.

"I'm... fine. I think..." she mumbled.

"Can you change back?" Kraden asked. Mia closed her eyes and did as instructed. Kraden breathed a sigh of relief.

"She'll be fine?" Isaac questioned.

"Yes, I think so. I have to get back to administrative stuff too, but... Mia, you sit here and rest, okay? Don't move until after... half an hour or so," Kraden said. "Isaac, you stay and make sure she doesn't run off."

"What makes you think I'm in any mood to run?" Mia asked weakly as he stood up.

"Oh, I don't know. Perhaps the fact that students always like to disobey whatever they're told?" Kraden said, chuckling. "Rest well, mermaid."

"I will, turtle," Mia said, smiling as well.

The two students watched him leave.

"If I called any of my old teachers 'turtle', they would murder me," Isaac said, grinning. Mia stared at him.

"Your old school?"

"I only transferred here this year," Isaac explained. Mia stared at her feet.

"This is my first school too," she said quietly. Isaac remembered the previous Changing lesson.

"You had a governess, right? Why did you choose to enter Crystal School instead?" he asked. Mia continued staring at her feet.

Isaac felt uncomfortable. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry, it's..."

He broke off when he saw her tears.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

This will be the last chapter where I put reviewer's responses, since the site now bans it. Please try to leave signed reviews so I can reply to your reviews. Or leave an email, and I will write. If you don't do either, I won't respond. Sorry. I'm not too pleased about it either; I liked doing responses.

This chapter was mostly Changing facts, and pulling relations between the characters closer. Though it may seem a little too dramatic... Well, they're special after all, and special calls for trouble.

Until next time!

Daidairo


	14. To ACE: Attack Cyclops, Everyone!

Creature Changers

Sorry for the long delay in updating, but I've been busy studying for the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test for those who don't know), so I didn't have much time to type. Also, I was stuck on Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance... (Sorry, it's addictive!)

In the previous chapter, Ivan was only trying out for choir. He's not officially in choir. And Jenna's not a new student. She wasn't trying out for the Health Club; she's already in it.

To reviewers who did not receive a reply, the reason is because you did not leave your email or I couldn't mail you for some reason.

I sincerely thank everyone who has supported this fic all along, and especially to any Valeshippers who have chosen to continue reading after the pairing verdict. Thank you all!

Also, special thanks to Kodoku for reminding me that Cyclops exist!

Disclaimer: Golden Sun used to be mine. But then I woke up.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 14: To ACE: Attack Cyclops, Everyone!

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Mia...? Are you all right?" Isaac asked worriedly. "You don't have to answer me if you don't want to..."

The other changer swallowed hard before she began ranting softly.

"I've been homeschooled ever since I was young. My governess, Lynna, could teach everything I needed to know, so it wasn't a problem. She was more than just a teacher, she was a friend and a companion... She was pretty much one of the most important people in my life. But in the middle of last year... I don't know why either... I changed, and she saw me..."

_It's the same story. Nobody seems to be able to stand changers..._ Isaac sighed. He watched the ripples of water move on the surface of the pool.

"She... she called me what they did... mutant... freak... She insulted my family, my blood, my behaviour... Right in the face of my parents as well..." Mia burried her head in her hands. "She changed too. She was different on that day. Lynna would never have called me a wilful witch with wicked ways in the past..."

Isaac could not imagine having a trusted friend changing entirely and stabbing him repeatedly with every word she said. He could only guess how Mia felt, and assume from the feelings her song had conveyed.

"What did your parents do?"

"They chased her out, of course. They couldn't have her badmouthing the family. But they treated me similarly. Like a disease, like a monster... So of course they leapt at the chance to send me to my Aunt Harriet's. They smiled and explained that they wanted me to be schooled in Crystal, but their smiles were empty, even more than they had ever been..."

"Are you sure?" Isaac asked in disbelief. "But they're your parents..."

"They were always busy when I was young too. But they weren't hostile until I changed. And I don't even know why I did. I didn't choose to become a changer. Yet... I get punished for it..."

Her feelings were echoing his. Isaac put an arm around Mia.

"No matter the past, it's much easier to look to the future and try to enjoy life as much as you can. None of us chose to be changers, but it's a fact, and we must learn to live with it. Look on the bright side, it's quite an experience to change, isn't it?" he said.

"I suppose... But I was scared at first. My legs seemed stuck together when I was swimming that day..."

"Do you change whenever you touch water? That's sounds extremely inconvenient," Isaac said doubtfully.

"No. You noticed me yesterday morning, didn't you? Every time my legs get engulfed in water, my body would feel extremely at home and instinctively try to change. I can control it if I try, though." Mia smiled slightly. "I admit it _is_ kind of fun to be able to swim without drowning and all... I don't regret having this ability."

"So there's an upside to everything. Cheer up," Isaac said. He frowned slightly as he thought. "I first changed when I was in danger. If you are able to change when you touch water, why hasn't it happened earlier?"

"I have no idea. I never felt anything at all in the past when I was swimming or bathing," Mia said. "Maybe Kraden will know why."

"We'll ask him another time. How do you feel now?" Isaac asked.

"Much better, thank you. I think I should start to head home," Mia said, standing slowly.

"Are you sure you'll be fine?"

"Yes. Thank you for listening to me ramble. I feel so much better now that I've let it off my chest."

"No problem. Is your Aunt Harriet nice, by the way?" Isaac asked suddenly.

"Yes, very. She agreed to have me as soon as she heard that I was coming to Crystal School. She's more like a caring big sister, and I can feel that she really loves me," Mia replied.

"Then you'll be fine. Go home and talk to her if you need to, and I'll always be around to listen if you need me." Isaac patted Mia on the shoulder and smiled.

"Thanks again."

"You're welcome. After all, that's what friends are for." Isaac quoted Garet, grinning as he did. "Go home and rest."

Mia waved and turned to go. Isaac watched her until she exited the school gate safely. He picked up his hastily thrown down bag and turned to go.

"Will she be all right?"

Piers and Felix were staring at the school gates behind him, both looking uncertain. Felix was still wearing the strange robes that served as the uniform for the Archery Club.

Apparently Piers had told Felix about Mia.

"She'll be fine. She's pretty strong not to have broken down considering what she's been through the last six months," Isaac replied. Briefly, he filled Felix and Piers in on what he had just heard.

"And those girls had to pick on her for something that wasn't her fault," Piers said, shaking his head. "People nowadays..."

"You know why they did it?" Isaac asked.

"Miss Bolloska told us. When Cascade changed into a mythical on her first day, three boys from her class saw her and freaked out, then began throwing insults at her. Kraden made the boys promise never to tell anyone about what they saw, and then put them in detention for the rest of the week," Felix explained. "So that's probably why they didn't show up for their date, and got their girlfriends furious."

"So they pinned the fault on Mia and went after her?" _It's completely unfair,_ Isaac thought angrily.

"Well, people can be stupid. And Cascade's unlucky enough to have her birthmark on her hand. Easily spotted," Piers said. "Don't worry, they'll definitely be punished heavily."

"Enough to make sure they shut up and leave her alone," Felix added. "What's done is done, and it can't be changed. Isaac, you should head home; the tryouts are nearly all done."

"All right. I..."

"It's him! Over there!"

"In that white and red thingy!"

A small stampede surrounded the three surprised students. Every member of the squeezing crowd was female.

"It's Felix, isn't it!"

"Are you going to be at the next Archery practice?"

"Can I have your phone number!"

"That's the other boy who was in the room!"

"Are you both in Archery?"

"You really should've changed out of that hakama before you came running out," Piers groaned, trying to shove his way out. "It's so easy to spot!"

"You were worried about Cascade! I didn't have time!" Felix argued, ignoring all the squeals and yells of his fanclub. "Why do they have to do this every year, even if I say no the year before!"

"That's the archery uniform?" Isaac asked, squeezing himself out, thankfully unnoticed.

"Traditional something or other, I believe."

Garet popped up behind him, laughing hard. "Honestly, you'd think they were idols or something the way those girls behave."

"Shouldn't we do something about it?" Isaac asked, chuckling as well.

"Oi! Felix! Piers! Restroom!" Garet called. Both Felix and Piers stared at him, then raced for the nearest toilet. "There. They can't follow him that way."

Isaac laughed.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"How was it?" Dora asked, turning away from the television and lowering its volume. "Did you get into the basketball team?" 

"Uh huh. The tryout was pretty okay," Isaac replied, removing his boots at the doorway and lining them neatly at the side. "Where's Dad?"

"He went back to work because more information on that coffin thing has been decoded. You know your father's like," Dora said, smiling as she thought of her husband's enthusiasm when he had received the positive phone call that morning.

Kyle worked as an archaelogist. When the family moved to Crystalia, he was tranferred to the smaller branch in Crystalia. Because of his ability of quick deduction and his knowledge of different languages, he was told to continue work on an old coffin that the company had found. Kyle often left his family for excavation sites, but he tried to spend as much time home as he could. Sometimes, though, the lure of a new find could be too much.

"Is he going to be back for lunch?" Isaac asked.

"No, he told me not to cook his share. Yours is in the kitchen; you should eat it before it becomes cold," said Dora.

"Thanks, Mom!" Isaac headed for the kitchen, and his mother turned back to the television.

The soft drone of the reporter on the one o'clock news filled the air. Absently, Isaac poked a fishball with his fork as he chewed. His ears pricked up as the voice began telling about an 'unusual report'.

"Scientists studying Creature Changers are claiming that they have found new abilities of Creature Changers. An ostrich defeated a hawk, and managed to 'gain' the ability of the hawk. The ostrich Changer can now fly, unlike normal ostriches. This is an extremely unexpected find..."

Choking on a sausage, Isaac dashed into the living room just in time to see a reccorded video on the television screen.

A black haired man waved to the camera, then changed into an ostrich. The changer proceeded to rush forward on both feet, flapping hard with its wings. Within seconds, he was airborne.

"That shouldn't be possible. Ostriches can't fly," Dora said in disbelief.

"Other battles have happened between changers before, and scientists wonder if the discovery was only made now because previous winners have not noticed that they had gained new abilities. It could also be because the abilities the winners gained were minor and not noticeable. The scientists of Weirsri Laboratory are continuing to research on the matter. St. Josephine High lately organised a fund-raising event to contribute to the..."

"Isaac, do you believe that that ostrich can fly?" Dora asked.

"... Maybe. I don't believe what the scientists are saying, because what if a snake had won the hawk instead? It couldn't sprout wings and start flying. The ostrich must have trained its muscles hard enough to enable flight," Isaac replied.

"But weight wise..."

"Maybe the changed ostrich weighs the same as his human form. I have no idea either."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

He felt something stirring in his blood. Something inside of him was reacting. Uneasily, he turned over in his bed. Slowly, he opened his eyes.

"What's... going on?" Isaac whispered to himself drowsily. The strange feeling persisted, and Isaac felt something calling him.

A smell. A weird smell.

_Come,_ it seemed to be saying.

"Where to?"

_Come, for it's in your blood..._

Everything felt blank and hazy as Isaac slipped out of his bed. Quietly, swiftly, he moved down the stairs and out of the backdoor.

Two ears pricked sleepily as the backgate closed. Two eyes opened slowly and looked around.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The strange smell continued to beckon. Isaac could not tell what smell it was. It was faint, but it was there, and it called. Whatever that was in his blood reacted to the smell and led Isaac down the quiet, empty streets of Crystalia.

The path continued on until Isaac reached a large, old mansion. It was covered with a roof of red, and parts of the white walls were covered with green moss and ivy. Tall grass grew everywhere around the building, except where a granite path way led to the front door. The lead black gates were open, and Isaac went through them. Half a dozen doors strangely put into the house were open as well.

Moving to the side, Isaac entered through one of the doors. It led to a tiny corridor that twisted and turned in many areas, with white walls on both sides. Every five feet or so, a light glowed on the ceiling. It was a maze, and the place smelt strongly of the scent. Isaac continued to follow the scent as he went forward down one of the paths the maze.

_But why am I following this smell?_

I shouldn't. It's not important.

What's going on?

A high pitched squeal pierced through the air and shook Isaac awake. Thoroughly startled, he looked around him in surprise.

_Who was that...?_

Slowly, Isaac remembered what had happened. He wondered why he had reacted to the strange smell like that. It suddenly seemed faint. Isaac turned towards the direction where he thought the scream came from. Seeing four different paths leading in every way, Isaac knew he was lost.

_No use standing around doing nothing._

Hesitantly, he picked one path and began to walk cautiously on. Every smooth wall of the indoor maze reached right up to the ceiling, and looked exactly the same.

Soon, the path split into a fork. Isaac chose the left and headed down it. Turning with the path, he soon came to a dead end. Sighing, Isaac was about to turn back when he saw a lump of red and brown on the ground at the end.

It was a small, unconscious hare. Isaac gulped and hoped that it was _only_ unconscious. Blood soaked through its fur from several wounds and dyed the floor around red.

_What on earth is going on! _Isaac demanded silently as he ran towards the hare. Removing the pullover he was wearing above an indigo shirt, he picked up the tiny animal with shaky hands and placed it on the fabric. Wrapping it around it carefully, Isaac lifted the bundle and was relieved to feel quick heartbeats thumping against his fingers. 

_I need to find a way out of here and get this little guy to a vet.  
_  
Turning down the path, Isaac headed back to the fork. When he reached it, he took a right. Still holding the bloodied rodent, he walked briskly until he came to another forking. This time he had three choices.

_Wait... haven't I been here before?   
_  
Stopping to think, Isaac visualised his movements in his mind, then groaned as he realised his mistake. Returning from the dead end, heading right led him to the path he came from in the first place. So he was stuck where he started originally.

_Maybe one of these paths lead outside. _Picking the middle path, Isaac moved on. Just before he turned a corner, he heard voices and stopped.

"I don't understand why we got here!" 

"Neither do I, but we need to get out as fast as possible. I've got a bad feeling about this place."

Two other people came around the corner and stared at him.

"Felix? Jenna?" he asked in disbelief.

"Isaac? What are you doing here?" Jenna asked. "And why are you holding that... dead rabbit?"

"It's not dead yet. I found it at one of the dead ends in this maze. And it's a hare, see the black tips on its ears and the longer hind legs?"

"Did you get here by a weird smell?" Felix demanded.

"Yes. I don't know what it is, but I found myself moving here, and someone's scream sort of woke me up," Isaac replied.

"Same here," Jenna said. "We're looking for whoever it was that screamed, or a way out."

"Somehow, I think this rab-hare is the one behind the scream," Felix said grimly. "Something must have attacked it."

"What lives in a mansion and attacks rabbits?" Jenna said, raising her eyebrows. "Must be something eccentric old man. We'll be able to deal with him, probably."

"This place is too strange to be hanging around," Felix insisted. "We're getting out now."

They turned down the path Isaac had started from, and made their way to the crossway with four paths.

"Which way?" Jenna asked, looking at the available three choices.

"The middle one leads to another path and a dead end. Want to try it?"

"At least we know there's a dead end," Felix said, starting forward. The three changers continued down the path until it forked, then took the right path.

As they moved, a loud bellow was heard. Then a scream.

"Oh, for-! What on earth is going on!" Jenna yelled, rushing forward. 

"Jenna! Wait!" Felix yelled. "Be caref-!"

The path led to a small room. Other paths could be seen from all sides of the room. At one side of the room was a small, covered cauldron. Standing in the middle was a big, yellow monster. Shaped roughly like a bald human, enormous muscles could be seen all over his yellow-skinned body. One enormous green eye opened in the center of its noseless face, which turned towards the three changers.

"A cyclops," Isaac said, his voice threatening to break. The creature was grabbing a brown bull by the neck. The latter had fainted, and hung limp from the former's gigantic hand.

"So, there are more?" the cyclops hissed. He threw the bull against the wall and cackled. The mammal hit the wall with a resounding crack and slid to the ground. Blood began seeping out from its head. "Wait till I defeat all of you!"

Isaac gasped. _That strength... This is definitely trouble...!_

"What's going on?" Jenna demanded nervously, swallowing hard as she tried not to vomit. Felix moved in front of her instinctively.

"Don't come near the cauldron!" a voice yelled. "Don't breathe the scent from the cauldron!"

"Shut up!" the cyclops snarled, whipping around. As he moved aside, Isaac saw another familiar changer, bound and seated against the wall. "I'll deal with you after them!"

"Mia!"

Mia struggled to wriggle free of the ropes that bound her. She called out her warning again. "Don't let him open the cover of the cauldron! He's a Changer, and that cauldron affects all other changers but him! Breathing in the smell of the contents would make you weak and vulnerable to attacks! Don't come near!"

"That's what we breathed just now!" Jenna raced towards the cauldron at once, standing between it and the cyclops. "All right, you're not touching his thing!"

"Jenna! Damn!" Felix cursed. He reached for his forehead as he raced towards the cyclops, who was growling at Jenna.

"Felix! Jenna!" _What to do what to do what to do what to do... _Isaac crept around the other side towards Mia and placed the hare down, then began untying her as fast as his sweating fingers could.

Felix glowed and changed quickly as he moved. Bright gold shoulder plates gleamed as he sped up, reaching Jenna before the cyclops. He crouched defensively and watched.

"A mythical creature! I can't believe my luck. Would you like to lose first?" the cyclops hissed, twisting his mouth into a toothless grin.

"What do you want?" Isaac asked, pulling the last of the ropes off Mia.

"To defeat you all, of course!"

"He believes that by defeating other Changers, he would be able to gain their abilities," Mia said shakily. "He used the smell to lure any changer nearby to this place, then he'd attack them one by one until they are unable to move."

"That's so dumb," Jenna declared, reaching for her arm. The cyclops glared at her. Felix blocked him at once.

"Jenna, _shut up_."  
_  
_"I'll start with you!" 

Without warning, the cyclops threw a punch at Felix. The centaur raised both hands and took the blow head on. Digging his hooves into the ground, Felix stopped just before he hit Jenna and the cauldron. Gritting his teeth at the hard impact, Felix shoved the cyclops back and leapt away, drawing his opponent's attention away from the cauldron. His hands shook, feeling numb.

Isaac stood up and reached for his own birthmark. He felt the change that was now familiar; scales erupting, bones stretching, tail growing. As soon as the change was complete, he gave a roar and leapt for the cyclops. Sharp claws slashed at one yellow arm, releasing a yell of agony. Blood dripped from the scratch marks.

Leaping back, Isaac crouched like Felix did previously, watching the cyclops' every move. As soon as the cyclops turned to Isaac, Felix reared and kicked him repeatedly on the back with his front hooves. The harsh impact caused something to crack.

With another howl of pain, the cyclops turned to Felix. Isaac then leaped forward with his claws again. But their foe was not stupid. One large arm shot out and grabbed Isaac in a vice grip, restricting any movement. The other reached for Felix lifted him by the lower body, stopping his front legs from moving.

"Just because you have two and I am one doesn't mean I lose," the cyclops hissed. He squeezed hard, and both his opponents howled. "I can crack bones no problem, especially since you two are so wimpy."

Slamming both fists together, he squashed Felix and Isaac against each other and threw them at the wall. A loud crack sounded, and the wall collapsed with the impact, shattering. As it fell and covered the changers, five other changers could be seen coughing at the dust. One look at the scene caused them to flee, screaming. They dashed back through the maze and vanished from sight.

Breathing heavily, the cyclops smiled smugly. Then something hit his back heavily and he stumbled. Turning, he saw a furry panther bite down hard on his skin. The vertebra that Felix had cracked did not enjoy sharp teeth sinking into it, and broke. With another yell, the cyclops shook Jenna off, gripping his back in pain. The skin where Jenna's teeth had been seemed to be glowing like splints.

"It's hot... What kind of creature are you!" the cyclops yelped. He gripped his back harder, as if hoping that the pain would lessen.

Jenna spread her wings and flew at the cyclops again. This time, her wings wrapped around the cyclops' leg, causing a searing heat to course through his body. The other leg lifted and stomped down hard on Jenna, forcing her to release hold. The cyclops ground his foot hard on Jenna, and several more cracks could be heard. Her screams echoed through the entire mansion.

Mia tugged at a piece of the debris, wincing as she watched. _I have to help somehow! Think! How can a mermaid fight a cyclops on land!_

As the piece of wall finally came free, Isaac pushed it aside and sat up, coughing hard. Weakly, he struggled to his feet and stared at Jenna in horror.

"Are you all right?" Mia asked worriedly. "Don't push yourself!"

Isaac growled. _I don't care how many bones he's broken in me, but he's not going to kill Jenna as long as I'm still alive!_ He rushed at the cyclops, slicing at the foot with both elbow blades. The blades cut deeply, and blood poured out as the cyclops fell, releasing Jenna. Unfortunately, the panther was unconscious. Breathing heavily, Isaac turned back to the fallen cyclops, who was struggling to rise.

Felix had been released from debris by Mia as well, and he limped over to the cyclops and placed one front hoof on his neck.

"Don't move," he said, panting. "Or else."

The cyclops moaned and stopped moving. Reflexively, Felix relaxed, thinking that he had given up. Then the cyclops knocked Felix's hoove away with lightning speed and leapt back up, wincing as he did.

"I should've used this long ago," he hissed. Raising both arms, he gave a blood curdling yell. Isaac and Felix watched him warily. Then he slammed both arms hard onto the ground.

The floor cracked and broke into pieces immediately. Each piece shot upwards with the impact at high speed, crashing into everything in its path, including the changers. Both fell as many of the lights broke, nearly out of energy.

The cyclops moved towards Felix.

"For giving me hell, you won't just fall. You die."

He raised one arm. Then he froze.

_"Turn, and stop,  
For you're a clod,  
So don't you dare  
To whack those there  
Or you'll be made to stop._

Turn and stop..."  
  
The cyclops' ears took in the haunting music, and his body could not disobey. It took all of his will to turn and look in the direction of the song. 

Mia had changed and was singing continuously with anything that came to mind. _Isaac was right... the song is my power..._

The cyclops growled and tried to move towards her. Straining with his mind, he pulled back one arm.

_Can't... move... tail... oh no! _Mia had to stop singing to breathe. The cyclops punched. Mia was knocked into the pile of wall debris and disappeared from view.

"Heh. The cyclops still wins," he muttered, breathing hard. Then sharp claws raked his head, causing more red scratches. With a yell, the cyclops turned. He saw nothing. Looking around wildly, he soon spotted a dark winged shape hovering near the ceiling. It was dripping with blood as well.

"Stupid bird... Shoulda killed her when I had the chance," he growled. Pulling his arm back again, he punched. The bird dodged with several quick flaps of its wings, then soared towards the cyclops face again. Extending its talons, it scratched the cyclops' eye.

It was the loudest scream heard that night. Blood dripped down his face as he collapsed. The cyclops closed his eye in pain, hitting randomly at anything in range. Reflexes caused him to panic, and the purple bird was slammed into the nearest wall by flailing arms. Moving blindly around, the cyclops broke every wall he touched.

Isaac struggled up and leapt, using the cyclops blindness to his advantage. With whatever strength he had left, he knocked the cyclops hard on the head with his right elbow blade. The cyclops fainted, crashing to the ground.

Isaac swayed on his feet and fell to his knees. He had never felt so tired in his entire life. Slowly, he forced himself to change back. His human body still ached with bruises, and his left arm seemed to have a dislocated bone. Crawling over to Felix, he shook him.

"Felix? Are you awake?"

The centaur nodded slowly, exhausted. He changed back like Isaac did, and forced himself up. His leg seemed to be giving him problems "Check on... Cascade... Get her out. I'll find Jenna..."

Nodding, Isaac went over to where he had seen Mia. Moving the pieces of debris as quickly as his tired arms could, he soon uncovered the nearly dehydrated mermaid.

"Mia...! You need to change back!" he urged. She opened her eyes and nodded, looking frightened. She changed back and got to her feet. Supporting each other, the two went towards Felix and Jenna.

"She's unconscious. We need to get her to a hospital!" Felix said, his voice shaking. Out of them all, Jenna had taken the most damage.

"What about... that bird?" Isaac asked. He turned. The moonlight streaming in from the windows showed that there was no bird, only a changer lying beside the cyclops.

"Her energy must have been exhausted," Mia said. "I'll carry her. Let's get out..."

Isaac helped Felix to lift the large panther. His eyes began to fail him.

Suddenly, several extremely bright lights appeared from one of the paths, blinding them temporily.

"Don't move!"

Exhausted beyond words, Isaac collapsed. The last thing he remembered was the blurred lights approaching slowly.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Well. That certainly took some time. And now I'm _the_ one who's exhausted. I spent as much time as I could on this, researching and rereading and all. I didn't even play FE, or FF8, or anything. See how much effort I threw in?

It may look less without the reviewer responses, but I think that this is the longest chapter I've ever written. It certainly seems like it, with the amount of plot I managed to throw in. I don't have word count on wordpad, so I'll check after I upload. What I _am_ sure of is that this chapter contains the most action. Hope you've enjoyed it!

... Too much violence. Must change rating to T.

Until next time!

Daidairo

(... Goodbye to my lighthearted fic. So-called lighthearted fic. This definitely isn't lighthearted.)


	15. The Song of Recovery

Creature Changers

And a quick update! Since choir practices have stopped, I'm free!

Garet: Liar. You have holiday homework.

Oh be quiet. The holiday homework can wait. I know I only have three weeks left, and I haven't started on anything, but I don't caaaare!

Garet: Liar. You do care. You'll probably end up crying on the last day of holiday trying to finish.

... You must have gotten Ivan to read my mind. Damn. Forget homework, I'm working on Creature Changers. Though I miss choir practice... Since I have the time (ignores Garet's yells of 'Liar!'), I shall write!

Hm... Three people tried to guess my pretty bird. Two asked about the cyclops. No one thought if they might be minor characters. And no one asked about the hare, who might be a major character. Hmm...

EDIT: Turns out I'm posting it after school started. To all those whom I said "Updating soon", I'm sorry! Happy New Year to all!

Disclaimer: The day when roosters drink beer, dress in bathrobes, eat curry jelly and dance the tango with rabid gerbils is the day I own Golden Sun. When that day arrives, please inform me.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 15: The Song of Recovery

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Slowly, drowsily, Isaac forced his eyes to open. Pure white nothing stared back at him.

His whole body ached, and he could feel bruises all over him. His insides felt like mashed potatoes, and it hurt every second. His left arm was stiff and unmovable, and a side glance told him that it was in a cast. With much effort, Isaac forced himself to sit up, and his body complained about the strain.

"Isaac! How are you feeling?"

The blond looked up and saw Mia, dressed in a white hospital gown similar to his own, leaning against the end of the bed he was on. She seemed to be unhurt.

"Please lie down! You were badly hurt yesterday!" Mia pushed him gently but firmly back onto the clean white bed, and hit a red button above him. "Listen, this is a simple summary of your condition. Your lungs are slightly punctured, your stomach's bleeding, some bones are broken, and your body is entirely covered with bruises and cuts. So you see, your body needs to rest or you won't recover."

"Where... hospital?" he asked, his throat dry.

"Yes, we're in a hospital. After you fainted last night, the police came with your parents. Though we told them what had happened, I'm not sure if they believed us. The bird and the centaur---Felix, is it?---collapsed like you did. An ambulance brought all of us here."

Isaac sighed. Looking to the side, he was startled to see Sheba covered with bandages, lying on her side.

"Why is Sheba...?"

Mia followed his gaze.

"Her name is Sheba, then? She's the purple bird that helped us last night," she explained. "Apparently, the cyclops had injured her previously, then left her. So when she woke, she attacked him again."

"I see... What about Felix? And Jenna?" Isaac asked anxiously.

"Felix is in a slightly better condition compared to you, but his leg's in a bad way." Mia pointed to a bed on the other side of Sheba. Isaac tried to sit up to look, but Mia pushed his head back down.

"And Jenna?"

Silence.

"Mia?"

"She was still being operated on the last time a nurse came here," Mia replied finally. Her voice shook as she spoke. "The doctors aren't sure if she'll survive..."

_No!_

"It can't be!"

Felix had shot up straight on his bed. His eyes looked livid as he stared at Mia.

"You're awake!" Isaac said, wincing as Felix's body quivered, no doubt complaining about the sudden movements that ate his energy.

"She's still alive, isn't she?" he demanded, his untied hair hanging untidily around his face.

"Of course!" Mia replied with as much confidence as she could muster. "She'll be fine, she has to be."

Grabbing two crutches that were leaning against the wall, Felix tried to swing both legs to the side of his bed. Trembling, he gripped the handles as tightly as he could, cursing at his right leg, which was heavily bandaged.

"What are you doing!" Isaac asked in alarm, sitting up.

Mia did not bother to stop him either. "You're in no condition to move!"

"I'm going to look for Jenna!"

"SIT DOWN!"

Startled at the new voice and exhausted beyond his wits, Felix fell back onto his bed. He turned to the side to glare at the speaker.

Sheba glared back at him as she sat up. She was in a much better condition to glare; her only injuries seemed to be a leg which was bandaged slightly, and a cheek which was covered with a large plaster.

"She's my sister!" Felix argued.

"You don't even know where she is!" Sheba yelled back. "Running out there and destroying what's left of you won't help her! She might still be under operation! And if you just dash in and interrupt the doctors she'll be in trouble! So just sit down and WAIT! There's nothing you can do!"

Both Mia and Isaac watched the two warily. It occured to Isaac that Sheba did not seem like the type to shout. Felix seemed taken aback that someone other than Jenna had just yelled at him. Sheba was breathing heavily as she stopped.

"I'm sorry for yelling," she finally said. "I guess I got a little worked up. I know you're worried, but it's really not going to help. If anything happens to you, your sister will be all alone. You have to take care of yourself."

Isaac agreed with everything that Sheba had said. Glancing at Mia, he knew she felt the same.

Felix was different. Slightly.

"..."

"I'm sure your sister will be fine. Please, just lie down and wait." Sheba seemed to have quietened down after the loud outburst.

Felix turned away. Without replying, he let himself collapse onto the bed. Sheba smiled slightly.

"Isaac, you should lie down too," she pointed out. Mia stared at him, then gave him yet another push.

"If my condition worsens, it'll be your fault," Isaac said as he allowed himself to be shoved onto the bed.

Mia chuckled. "You can tell the doctor that."

Right on cue, the door opened and two doctors entered, flanked by nurses in light pink.

"Ah, all of you are awake...?" one of them asked. He was thin and timid looking, with black hair parted neatly in the center.

"How's Jenna? The redheaded female?" Felix demanded, sitting up again.

"She's probably fine now. There's still a danger period until a couple of hours later, so she's being watched for now," the black haired doctor replied. Two nurses went straight to Mia and pulled her behind a screen.

_What are they doing? _Isaac wondered. "Are we allowed to see her?"

"Later," the second doctor snapped. His brown busy eyebrows narrowed as he scanned them with a green visor. "All of you seem to be on the heal, so I won't stay. Rest here until the major wounds have recovered."

Taking off the visor, he exited the room.

"What's wrong with him?" Sheba asked, arching an eyebrow and wincing as the action pulled at a scratch on her face.

"He's a... he's got a grudge..." the first doctor said quietly. "His girlfriend was killed by a Changer..."

No one seemed to know what to say to that.

"What are those nurses doing with Mia?" Isaac asked, breaking the silence.

"They're... checking her. She apparently recovered from her injuries more quickly than possible... We're wondering about that, so..."

"Dr. Martin!" the screen was pushed back as the nurse called. "She's... fully healed."

Mia headed back towards the other changers, looking confused.

"Strange... tell Dr. Ferdinand as soon as he is unoccupied," Dr. Martin instructed. The nurse nodded. "The rest of you, please rest for the time being. Isaac Gaia, your parents are waiting in the lobby, so... I'll send them in, all right?"

Isaac nodded. Dr. Martin left. The nurses fiddled with certain equipment, fussed over Felix's hair, made Mia sit on an empty bed, then left as well.

Ten minutes later, the door burst open again. Dora and Kyle rushed straight to their son; the former crying and embracing, the latter crying and demanding answers.

"Isaac! Are you all right! Does it hurt anywhere!"

"What happened?"

Several men in blue uniform had followed them in, and one stepped up. "Sir, I think we should be the one questioning."

"Mom, Dad, I'm fine," Isaac said patiently, sitting up. Dora frowned.

"Mr. Iaka, please. These children are hurt and need to rest," she said. "I think interrogation should be left for another day."

"Madam, this is important. I insist that it be done now, before things go wrong," the constable replied. Turning, he barked at the other four policemen who had entered with him.

"Watch the doors!" 

Immediately, they scooted to obey. A feeling of acute dislike struck Isaac, and he stared as the constable glared around at the changers.

"All of you, sit up!"

With much difficulty, Felix struggled up while Sheba and Mia both glared at the constable with the same dislike that Isaac felt.

"Why were you at Fern Mansion last night? It's an abandoned house, where you shouldn't have been trespassing. Furthermore, it was late at night. Why would you people be walking there?"

"We were lured there by a strange smell, we've already told you that last night," Sheba said, looking irritated.

"Do you expect me to believe that?" Mr. Iaka snorted. "Fine, I'll overlook it for now. How did you destroy that whole mansion?"

"It wasn't us alone, that cyclops had a say in it," said Mia quietly. "He was trying to hurt us, so of course we had to retaliate. While engaging in combat, we damaged the mansion."

A notebook was whipped out, and notes were made. Mr. Iaka then looked up again.

"Do you have any idea who the cyclops Changer is?"

"No." All the changers replied simultaneously.

"Why was he trying to hurt you?"

"Some scientists deduced that Changers can gain abilities of others if they can defeat them. This cyclops wanted to get our abilities, so he tried to defeat us," Felix replied.

More notes.

"Right, that will be all for now," Mr. Iaka said finally. "Two watchmen will be assigned outside your room, for safety reasons."

"What about the cyclops?" Isaac asked.

"Of course we're keeping him under watch. You need not worry about him any longer." Snapping the notebook shut, the constable departed.

The door closed with a click.

"'Safety reasons'? Seems more like he thinks you guys are the wicked plotters behind this," Kyle remarked.

"Dad, Mom, what exactly happened last night?" Isaac asked.

"Flint and Ground woke when you disappeared. They informed us immediately, and we phoned the police," Dora explained. "They're at home now, hiding."

"How did you find us?" Sheba asked.

"Other changers had also disappeared, apparently, and their disappearance was reported by their families. One of them owned a bloodhound, who led us to the mansion," Kyle continued.

"An ambulance brought everyone here. Nearly all of you had to be operated on, so us parents were told to wait in the lobby." Like Mia, Dora made Isaac lie down. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, just a little sore."

Just then, a fat, brunette nurse entered.

"The patients are supposed to rest now. No visitors will be allowed until 5.00pm. Please leave," she announced.

"We're his parents!" Dora protested.

"They need rest. MAKE YOUR WAY OUT NOW."

Kyle ruffled his son's already messy hair. "We'll be back soon. Come on, Dora."

Still protesting, Dora was steered out by Kyle and the nurse.

"All of you are to sleep. Doctor's orders," the nurse said sternly. "Lie down and do as instructed, everyone of you."

Meekly, the changers crept down and pulled their blankets over themselves. The nurse nodded, satisfied. She exited the room.

The door slammed.

Immediately, everyone sat up in their beds.

"That snail is right, you know," Mia announced.

"You mean Mr. Iaka?" Isaac asked.

"Of course. Why did that smell lure us? Only us?"

"Ivan's told me about it before..." Sheba started.

"Who's Ivan?" Both Mia and Felix asked.

"He's a new mythical from school. What did Ivan say?" Isaac asked.

"The Changertract potion attracts changers and puts them in a trance. It does affect only changers, but no one has any idea why," Sheba said. "It's made by mixing and heating garlic, onions, flour, soy sauce, rubber ducks, mushroom soup, sheets of newspaper, purple dyed silk threads, sardines, gingerbeer and strawberry milk."

There was silence. The air conditioner blew.

"Who in his right mind would _try_ brewing something like that and still come up with results?" Felix voiced what both Mia and Isaac were thinking.

"No idea," Sheba shrugged. "I don't think anyone knows who came up with it in the first place either."

"Why didn't the... 'potion'... affect the cyclops then?" Isaac asked.

"Didn't you notice that the cyclops has no nose? He can't smell the mixture," Sheba said.

More silence.

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard," Mia said, shaking her head in disbelief. "How does he breathe then?"

"By some other method obviously. Fishes don't have noses either and they breathe fine," Sheba replied.

"Point taken," Felix sighed and stared at the door. "I wonder how Jenna is."

"She was really badly hurt, wasn't she? That cyclops had better be punished for it," Mia said. Sheba stared at her. And stared again.

"Mia, is it? You... don't seem to have taken any damage at all."

"I did, last night. My arm was even broken. But they seemed to have healed quickly..." Mia said. "Like that nurse said just now, all of my bruises and cuts are fully healed."

"That's strange, why would it be that way?" Isaac frowned in bewilderment.

"Maybe it's a Changer ability, but the rest of us don't have that," Felix said.

"What's your creature, Mia?" Sheba asked.

"Mermaid."

"Well, that should explain it," Sheba said, thinking hard. "Mermaids were immortals in the old legends. I remember reading about them. If they manage to reach 14 years old without getting killed, they would attain immortality. They would not die of old age or diseases, and nothing can kill them. They will only turn to foam when they reach three hundred."

"So you're saying... I recover faster than others because I'm unkillable?" Mia said uncertainly.

"That's probably it," Sheba said. "I think..."

Nobody ever found out what she thought. The door burst open as Kraden ran in.

"Everyone! How have you been?" he asked, staring around at them as he dumped a large basket of fruits on Felix's table.

"We're fine, Kraden," Isaac said. "Just a little sore."

"All sorts of rumours have been flying around. What exactly happened?" Kraden asked.

"It's a long story," Mia replied. "The short version; a cyclops changer believed that changers could gain others' abilities by defeating them, and used the Changertract potion to lure us to Fern Mansion. All of us here attacked him, and won, but we took too much damage and landed in here."

"I see..." Kraden shook his head. "What Changers will do with their powers... I must report this to the principal..."

He gave a start as he turned to Mia.

"You attacked him? How?"

"Isaac was right about the singing. I sang to stop him moving, and it worked," Mia explained.

"Really? Ohhh I must study mermaids! How exactly did you stop him? Did you hypnotise him? Put him to sleep? What else can your voice do? Can you do damage? Burst eardrums maybe? Or the opposite? Can you heal wounds? Can you..."

"OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUUUUUUUT!"

The fierce nurse burst into the room, her fair face red with anger.

"I said NO VISITORS!" she bellowed. Glaring at the changers, she continued, "I said SLEEP!"

Hurriedly, the changers laid down and hid under their blankets.

Turning to Kraden, the nurse repeated her words. "DIDN'T I SAY 'NO VISITORS'!"

"But they're my..."

"I don't CARE if they're yours! Yelling like that in the middle of a hospital room!"

"_You're_ yelling too, and I..."

"OUT! THIS INSTANT!"

"But..."

The nurse lifted an injection needle from a tray by the side. Holding it like a dagger, she glared at Kraden with an evil look in her eye.

"Do you want some of this?"

Kraden eyed the needle nervously.

The next moment, he was running.

"NOOOO! GET THAT POINTY STICK AWAY FROM ME!"

The nurse smiled triumphantly.

"Huh. I know that type. They're all afraid of one tiny needle and its tiny pain, no matter how old they become."

Turning, she eyed the lumps of bedsheets.

"The redheaded girl is probably fine. She's inside the ICU now and needs rest. So do you. You will be permitted to see her in the evening ONLY if you sleep," she announced.

A soft snore came from Felix's bed. The nurse smiled sweetly.

"Sleep well!"

The door closed behind her.

"Felix, you snore?" Isaac asked from beneath his blanket.

Sheba gave a squeal of laughter while Mia coughed a cough that sounded suspiciously like 'Felixcoughsnorescough'.

"Shut up, Isaac," Felix said, his voice muffled by the sheets. "I want to see Jenna even if you don't."

"Isn't that just an excuse to change the Snoring Subject?" Sheba asked innocently.

"SLEEP."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Mia slipped the blanket down and looked out. The brunette nurse was sitting on a chair at the doorway, snoozing.

Quietly, she crept out of bed and stood up. The nurse frowned. Quick as a flash, she knelt down and hid behind Isaac's bed. Thankfully, the nurse continued sleeping.

_Nearest person is... Isaac. I hope Kraden's right._

Glancing at the sleeping Isaac, she sat down and changed. Keeping her voice as low as possible, she sang.

_"Major wounds, minor wounds  
Let me whistle you away_

_Horrible pain, terrible pain_

_In this body you must not stay_

Hear this song, hear this voice,  
It shall heal and mend your life

_For this song, and this voice_

_Wishes you will stay alive."_

On she went, occasionally looking up to watch the nurse. Slowly, she felt something well up inside of her. Not daring to stop, Mia sang on. Her hands felt wet, and she thought it was perspiration.

But they became wetter. Astonished, Mia lifted her hands. Water was appearing on her palms, seemingly seeping out from them.

The crystal clear water swirled as she sang. As her voice trembled, the water disappeared. Panicking, Mia pulled herself from the surprise and continued singing softly. Drops of the water flowed towards Isaac, moving towards the bandages and cuts on his body. More water flowed, and soon streams of water was moving randomly from Mia's hands towards Isaac.

Hardly breathing, Mia watched as water sank into a bruise on Isaac's cheek. The swell went down and disappeared. A small red cut on his forehead also disappeared.

_It's working...!_

_"Though the injuries may have hurt you  
Though you may have suffered, my friend_

_It's the end of pain, you will rise again_

_Fully healed, for this is the end."_

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Isaac opened his eyes and sat up. He felt cooled. _As if I had just been drenched by water..._

He noticed Mia beside his bed.

"Mia? What are you doing?" he asked.

Mia felt tired. "How do you feel? How are your wounds?"

"They..." Isaac stopped. He touched his face and swung his arm. "They... don't hurt at all... What on earth...!"

"I did it...!" Mia's face broke out into a smile. "Kraden gave me the idea that my voice could heal injuries. After all, my own were healed without trouble, so I figured a mermaid would be able to heal others."

"You... really?" Isaac examined the rest of him cautiously. There was no pain, no soreness, no tiredness. "I feel perfectly fine. So... your song can heal?"

"Apparently so," Mia changed back and stood up. "I'm glad it worked. I'd like to heal everyone else. That girl, Jenna... She's the one who needs help most."

"You think you can heal Jenna?" Isaac asked.

"Jenna? Is it time to see her yet?"

Isaac and Mia looked towards the mumbler. Felix tossed and opened his eyes sleepily.

"Felix, wake up." Isaac went towards his bed. His movements weren't slow and stiff like how it was hours ago. "Listen, Mia managed to heal me with her mermaid abilities. She should be able to heal Jenna too. We're going to try."

Wide awake, Felix stared at Isaac and where his injuries once were. Grabbing his crutches, he hopped up.

"Let's go."

Fortunately for them, the nurse did not notice as they snuck out.

The ICU, or Intensive Care Unit, was clearly labelled, so they found it with no difficulties.

There was also a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door.

They went in anyway.

"Jenna...?"

"She's wrapped like a mummy," Mia whispered. "Is it that bad?"

Jenna was not totally covered by bandages, but close enough. Metal braces was strapped to her back, and several casts were held up by pulleys. A small X-ray machine was held directly above her, and a screen nearby showed the many broken bones in her body, along with blood clots, bruises, and other things the inexperienced changers could not recognise.

Mia raised both hands towards Jenna. She started singing, and the water began to flow like before.

Felix and Isaac watched in disbelief as the water entered Jenna. One broken bone on the screen melded together slowly, and soon became smooth and unbroken. According to the screen, the rest of Jenna's body began to heal as well.

_"... Hear my voice, hear my song_

_And feel the water's power_

_Healing you and strengthening you  
So that you will recover... recover..." _

The flowing streams of water suddenly disappeared, and Mia collapsed in a heap on the ground, unconscious. The screen began to blink continuously.

"Body temperature rising. Blood pressure rising. Warning!" the mechanical voice of the machine rang out.

"What's happening!" Felix cried in alarm. Isaac stared at the screen worriedly.

"Mia? Jenna!"

Flames crept out from underneath Jenna's shoulder blades. They expanded and grew, forming wings of fire. They touched everything around, yet nothing was burnt or charred. They folded around Jenna, engulfing her in flames.

"JENNA!"

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Finally done! And now I have to do a Social Studies project before I sleep... 

Ah well, that's what comes of writing before homework is finished... (sweatdrops sheepishly)

This one wasn't as long as the previous, but it'll do. I think. I hope. At least it had plot stuff.

Until next time (probably a long time away now that school's started)!

Daidairo


	16. More Mysteries

Creature Changers

So much has happened this week. My birthday, my winning the Best Female for the Rockman EXE Online song contest, my receiving FFVII (which I can't play because my CD Drive is SPOILT) and choir practices. Ah well.

I'd like to apologise for any OOCness I might have entered. I have really tried my best to write as IC as possible, and I only made Sheba yell because I thought that she was the type to shout when she gets worked up. After all, she yelled at the Wise One in the game. If Sheba is not like that, then I sincerely apologise. I will continue to try to keep my characters IC.

EDIT: Two whole weeks have passed since I wrote all that. Gah.

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun. BUUUTT... I do own the recipe of the Changertract potion!

Isaac: (raises finger) Remember, kids, don't try it at home!

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 16: More Mysteries

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Isaac slammed his palm onto the red button labelled "Emergency". As Felix hopped towards the fire extinguisher opposite Jenna's bed and struggled to unlock it, Isaac pulled thick sheets and blankets off the nearest bed and moved cautiously forward.

_Smother the fire! Don't let it have oxygen to continue burning!_

Before he could throw the heavy pile, a flicker of the fire touched him. Isaac flinched, then froze.

_It's not... hot...!_

Felix grunted at the weight of the fire extinguisher as he aimed.

"No, wait!" Isaac cried, staring at the flames in disbelief.

"Have you gone mad!"

Under the changers' eyes, the fiery wings retreated. Jenna was still unconscious, unaware of what had happened. Slowly, the flames disappeared into Jenna's back.

"Body temperature returning to normal. Blood pressure dropping. Condition stabilizing."

On the screen, Jenna's body was fully healed.

"What... how... igonher?" Felix had no idea what he was saying. Isaac was speechless.

Jenna opened her eyes. She glanced around sleepily, then caught sight of Isaac and Felix, both of whom were gaping like goldfishes out of water.

"What happened?" she demanded. "Where's that cylcops? What's going on? Where's this?"

She hopped steadily out of bed, pulling casts, wires, tubes, blankets and machinery with her. 

"Jenna! You're still hurt!" Felix protested. "You can't just..."

"Me? Hurt? I don't feel hurt," Jenna said, looking puzzled. She eyed her body, frowning at the bandages that covered her. Tearing a cast off her arm, she stared distastefully at the heavy green cream applied to her skin. Scraping it off quickly with the cast, she revealed a perfectly healthy arm. Shaking it randomly, she grinned at Isaac and Felix.

"See, I'm perfectly fi..."

SLAM.

"Oh my! What happened!"

A group of doctors and nurses stared at all three changers.

"The girl... she was in critical condition..." one of the nurses stammered. She collapsed and fainted, nearly squashing a male nurse standing behind her.

"OHMIGOD!"

"How... could this..."

"What did you..."

"Call the hospital!"

"You're already at the hospital!" Jenna yelled crossly.

Silence reigned.

But was overthrown again.

"Check her!"

"And the girl on the floor! What's wrong with her!"

"You two should be in your wards!"

Talking, yelling, pressing buttons and panicking all at once, the medical team in the room sprung into action. Mia was hoisted onto an empty bed, and Jenna was pulled back onto her own.

"Say nothing about what happened!" Jenna hissed suddenly. Then both Felix and Isaac were pushed back to their wards.

"What's she talking about?" Felix demanded in a whisper.

"She apparently doesn't want the doctors to know about Mia healing us..." Isaac muttered back.

"Why?"

"Beats me."

"Go in and be quiet!" Someone said, throwing open the door to their room. A very angry nurse was glaring at Sheba.

A _very_ nervous Sheba.

"I ask again, where have they gone?"

"Behind you," Felix replied. The very angry nurse whipped her very angry head around, and became, if possible, even angrier.

Taking a very deep breath, she glared at Isaac and Felix, who both let out very small "uh-oh"s.

"And where, have you two, been?" she asked very slowly, in a very pleasant voice.

_Too_ pleasant.

"C-Calm down, Brigitta," a male nurse behind them said cautiously. "You don't want to kill them, now, do you?"

"Yes, I do, Malcolm," Brigitta replied. "INTO BED."

Felix and Isaac didn't need a second command. Sheba gave them both a devilish glare from beneath her blanket.

"The three of you will STAY THERE until I say so," Brigitta ordered. "Have I finally made myself _CLEAR_!"

All three changers nodded. Brigitta turned to Malcolm and the other nurse with him. 

"Where's the fourth patient? Miss Blue-hair?"

"She collapsed in the ICU, and they're running several tests on her," Malcolm replied. Brigitta raised an eyebrow.

"Collapsed? That doesn't sound right... wait..."

As if she had suddenly remembered something, she turned to look at Isaac.

"Your cast... it's loose... and you're fine with that? And jumping up and down?" she asked suspiciously.

"Uh... hahaha! Wow, I wonder why?" Isaac said, smiling nervously.

"Hm... Send for Dr. Ferdinand. I'll call Dr. Martin. And YOU THREE WILL STAY HERE."

Brigitta opened the door, ushered the other nurses out, wagged her finger at the changers, then closed the door.

Sheba shot up at once.

"Where on earth did you two go?" she demanded.

As Felix explained, Isaac's eyes kept straying to the door.

_What happened to Mia? And Jenna? What's going on?_

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The door opened, and Jenna entered briskly, looking sulky. Behind her was Dr. Martin, carrying a still unconscious Mia, and another man in a long lab coat.

"Jenna! What-" Felix started.

"This is Dr. Ferdinand, and he's a specialist on healing of the human body's tissues," Dr. Martin introduced, laying Mia down on an empty bed beside Sheba.

"How is Mia?" Isaac asked.

"Don't worry. We've checked her, and she's fine." Isaac breathed a sigh of relief at Dr. Ferdinand's words. "Strangely enough, however, she doesn't have a single wound on her. It's as if she's just sleeping from exhaustion," the doctor said. He had almond brown hair parted neatly in the centre and dark, piercing eyes. Those dark piercing eyes moved from Jenna to Mia, then to Isaac.

"We have reason to think that your abilities to recover so quickly may have to do with your changing abilities," Dr. Martin said. "Currently, there are no doctors in this hospital that specialises in Changers. We've sent to Headquarters for specialists, and meanwhile, we'd like to run a few tests on you, if there're no objections..."

"There ARE objections!" Jenna interrupted. "We. Are. Not. Your. Test. Subjects. How many times do I have to say that?"

"Well, if you don't want to have tests, then perhaps you should tell us the truth about what happened to you," Dr. Ferdinand said.

"I already told you, we don't know! Isaac and Felix came to visit me, and then I woke up. When I did, my injuries had disappeared. We have absolutely NO IDEA about what is going on!" Jenna insisted.

So that was it. _She doesn't want to be an experiment the scientists work on... so she won't talk about anything..._ Isaac knew then that Jenna was thinking about what the djinn had gone through.

"Indeed? Well, I think otherwise. Well, in this hospital, the doctors have the last say," Dr. Ferdinand said firmly. Ignoring Dr. Martin's weak protests, he continued on, his eyes glaring at Jenna. "And I will not release any of you until we get the information we need."

"Who are you to keep us here?" Felix demanded.

"I am the doctor," Dr. Ferdinand replied calmly. "The curing of your injuries could be a temporary thing, and for all we know, your wounds might burst open all of a sudden after a few days. We must keep you under observation."

"Like hell you will!" Jenna exploded. "All you want is to learn how we recovered so quickly, then use it to grab fame! All you scientists are the same!"

Was Isaac hallucinating? Or were tiny flames flickering out from Jenna's body?

"We're not objects that you can run tests on until you're satisfied! We have lives to live, and we're not going to spend our time working for a greedy someone else! You have no right to make us your lab rats!" Jenna thundered on. The flames were forming lightly around her, translucent and heated.

"What... what're you doing?" Dr. Martin cried, alarmed.

"Jenna!" Felix yelled. "What-"

But Jenna ignored them. "I don't care what you guys want! We're out of here! I won't let you use any of my friends as a lab experiment!"

"Calm down!" Dr. Ferdinand yelled back, hastily moving backwards and heading for the door. Jenna's fiery barrier had heated the whole room.

"I WON'T ALLOW YOU TO GET AT THEM!"

Both doctors fled.

"Jenna! That's enough!" Isaac shouted. "You're going to burn something if you don't stop!"

Jenna turned. Her eyes shone bright red as she looked around at them.

"We'll be all right. I promise!" she said defiantly. The flames flickered towards them.

Remembering what had happened previously, Felix reached towards the fire cautiously. The flames curled around his fingers and slid up his arm, filling him with a warm yet cooling sensation. There were no words to describe it.

Isaac stared at him and Sheba in wonder. Both their bruises were disappearing slowly.

"Jenna... can heal... too?" he asked.

The flames died. Jenna turned to him, looking confused but normal.

"How... what did I...?"

Felix raised his leg and shook it. No wincing.

"You know, I reckon that Kraden will be all over himself with excitement when he hears about this," Sheba commented.

"I think you're right," Jenna said. Then she fainted.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Are you sure you can be discharged like this?" Dr. Martin asked doubtfully.

"We'll be fine," Felix assured him. "But we need to get out of here."

He wasn't about to let Jenna explode again.

"I want you all to know that we have your interests at heart. So I think it would be best if you waited for a guardian to collect you," Dr. Martin said nervously, brushing his fringe back absently. "Besides... the two girls can't walk home themselves."

"They're just exhausted. We'll be fine." Felix hoisted Jenna onto his back. "I want to get out of here as quickly as possible."

"Well, it's your decision really. Are you sure you won't wait for a parent?" Dr. Martin asked doubtfully.

"We don't have one." Swiftly, he exited the building.

"They... don't?" Sheba looked taken aback.

"Oh dear... Will the two of them be all right?" Dr. Martin looked even more worried. "All that paperwork and things..."

"They'll be fine," Isaac said, more confidently than he felt. He could not stop thinking about what Dr. Ferdinand had said. What if the healing was really temporary? None of the changers had any experience in the healing department.

"I'll have to speak to the director about letting them off their medical fees," Dr. Martin said. Isaac suddenly felt that he was one of the doctors in the hospital that actually cared about the patients.

"Well, I should probably head back too," Sheba said.

"You do have parents, right?" Dr. Martin said nervously. "I think you should wait for them. If anything happens to any of you I won't be able to forgive myself."

"So then we're to wait here until our parents come?" Sheba said glumly. Her eyes moved to the clock on the wall. "There's not much daylight left, and I still have homework to do!"

Isaac chuckled. It was supposed to be only one weekend, with typical homework problems, but it seemed as if months had passed.

"Mr. Char will fry me if I don't finish his History homework," he agreed.

"No he won't!"

All three turned to see Dora at the door. She gaped to see him without the bandages.

"Doctor, should he stay away from school for some time?" she asked weakly. "Just in case anything happens...?"

"I don't think it'd be much of a problem," Dr. Martin said. "I _am _rather worried, but they're still fine now... And missing school will mean a lot of trouble trying to make up. I think you should continue your daily life unless something serious happens. You should come for check ups regularly for a couple of months, at least."

"All right, thank you, doctor." Dora was still looking distressed. Holding Isaac's arm as if he were made of glass, she pulled him out of the room and waved to Dr. Martin.

"Kyle's waiting outside. Let's go home," Dora said.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Isaac! Isaac!"

"You're back!"

Flint bounced on the bed. As he flew into the air, Ground hit the bed. Alternately, they took turns to jump and squeak greetings at Isaac.

"Hiya," Isaac greeted, collapsing onto his bed with a sigh.

"Are you okay?" Flint asked, stopping. He climbed onto Isaac's lap.

"We saw you go out yesterday night! Dora said it's dangerous! Was it? Was it?" Ground asked.

"I'm fine. You guys warned Mom and Dad that I got lured out, right? Thanks," Isaac said gratefully.

"Aw, it was nothing. Nothing!" Ground said happily.

"We just want to see you safe," Flint added, tilting his head to one side. Isaac hugged both of them.

"Thanks again, you guys. I..."

"Isaac?" It was Kyle. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah!"

"Come down and see this!" Dora called. Both djinn looked at him curiously. Shaking his head blankly, Isaac proceeded down the stairs. 

As he entered the living room, he noticed both Kyle and Dora perched in front of the television.

"What's the matter?"

The television blared.

"... Brett Marshall, age twenty-three."

Two photographs appeared on the screen.

Isaac gasped.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Judgment. It's late. I'm not thinking straight. I've to go sleep. 

Pardon the shortness this time round... I'm exhausted. Hate school...

Daidairo

Until next... (yawn)


	17. The Book

Creature Changers

Well, school is still biting at my heels, but I decided to throw away that horrible Chinese homework and work on this. Of course, the teacher will probably Down me like how the Doom Dragon Downed my Garet, but I don't really care right now. Call me rebellious; call me rash... I seriously don't care.

Quote a friend: Strumming my pain with my fingers, moaning my life with these words... Killing me softly with homework, killing me softly...

Somehow, I seem to be complaining way too much.

Disclaimer: Shiny, shiny Golden Sun! I don't own that pretty one. Up on Mount Aleph so high, like a round ball in the sky! Shiny, shiny Golden Sun! I don't own that pretty one!

Uhhhh...

Piers: ... Do you need some medicine...?

Sorry. 

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 17: The Book

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

One was of a young man, sleazy and fat. He had dark tousled hair that stood up everywhere, and red pimples dotted his face. Double chins nearly covered the collar of a scruffy, grey shirt. Put simply, he looked like a typical spoilt brat that lost his parents' fortune.

Isaac did not take much notice of him; what caught his attention was the other photograph, for an extremely familiar yellow monster stood agressively in it.

The cyclops.

"This Creature Changer entered Fern Mansion, which had belonged to the late magician Davis Silvermeadow, two days ago. He brewed a concoction known as the 'Changertract Potion'. Now, let us have Professor Analyzo tell us ahout the Changertract Potion."

The screen moved to show a dark haired, dark eyed man in a laboratory. He sat in an armchair, surrounded by tables filled with jars, beakers, test tubes, flat-bottom flasks, round bottom flasks and evaporating dishes, many of which were filled with unknown substances. Every now and then, a deep red liquid in one of the flasks would emitt red vapour, which rose towards Professor Analyzo, giving him strange red hues around his body. As he spoke in a foreign tongue, waving his hands around, another voice pitched in, translating what Prof. Analyzo was saying into English.

"The Changertract Potion is the result of a failed experiment of the late Dr. Kintobor. Dr. Kintobor, a Changer-hater, had wanted to create a potion that would make Changers stay away; that is, to find the potion so repulsive they would never go near the smell. This failed experiment did exactly the opposite; for a Changer that breathes in the fumes will be attracted by the potion. Another side effect is that the Changer will be under a 'trance'; he will seem as if he is half-asleep."

"What exactly makes Changers attracted to the potion?" an unseen reporter asked. A small microphone held by a white glove was seen near the bottom of the screen as the camera moved.

"Scientists are still trying to work it out. We believe it has to do with a Changer's blood," Prof. Analyzo's translator said.

"Do Changers have different blood from normal humans then?"

"Normal humans...? That's equivalent to saying that Changers are abnormal!" Dora protested loudly. Both Kyle and Isaac shushed her at once.

"We are still looking into that matter."

"What are the ingredients of the Changertract Potion?"

"It's made by mixing and heating garlic, onions, flour, soy sauce, rubber ducks, mushroom soup, sheets of newspaper, purple dyed silk threads, sardines, gingerbeer and strawberry milk."

"Why didn't Brett Marshall get affected by his potion, then?" 

"Well, look at that creature. It is a cyclops, an ancient creature of the old myths. It is possible that he can neutralize the powers of the potion."

"But if it has to do with the blood, he shouldn't be able to do anything," the still unseen reporter said. Here the professor shrugged and wagged his hands about.

"We have no idea. There is, of course, also a possiblity that Marshall could not breathe in the fumes because..."

The picture of the cyclops appeared as the translator and Prof. Analyzo paused. When they continued, a red arrow pointed to the middle of the cyclop's face.

"... He has no nose."

Dora, Kyle and Isaac each raised one eyebrow. Their jaws dropped.

"He has... no nose?" Kyle repeated.

"T-thank you, Professor..." The reporter seemed to have been caught off guard as well. The camera moved to show her slightly chubby face at last, and she still looked stunned. "Back to the topic..."

And back to the first news reporter. The one that looked slim and willowy.

"Brett Marshall attracted many changers in Crystalia with his potion. His aim was to gather as many changers as possible and then defeat them to gain their abilities. This is something proven by scientists from Weirsri Laboratory. Marshall is currently under the watch of policemen, and will be arrested as soon as he recovers from his wounds. For safety purposes, he has been force fed coca-cola. Should he attempt to escape, he will be arrested immediately."

Here, the reporter paused and glanced down at her notes.

"Marshall heavily injured altogether sixteen changers at Fern Mansion. Of these sixteen, five stood up to Marshall and managed to knock him out. These five, all minors from the Crystal School for Creature Changers, sustained heavy injuries themselves, and had been recuperating at the Henry Nun Hospital. They have been interrogated, and found not guilty of assault, as they have attacked only in self-defence."

"You mean they actually thought of accusing you guys for assault?" Kyle interrupted. Dora and Isaac shushed him. Even the djinn had flown down, and their eyes were firmly fixed on the blaring screen of the television.

"Fortunately, none of the changers that Marshall attacked are in any danger, and all of them are recovering. We have, however, received news that the five minors who fought Marshall have been released from the hospital for some reason. The hospital's director, Dr. Philip Canterville, has refused to comment on that. Anyone with information, please call one-six-nine-nine-zero-eight, or send your information to The Incident underscore Fern Mansion at Crystal News dot com."

The reporter's next words were dronings on how the people of another country had learnt how to cultivate duckweed from perfume.

Both Kyle and Dora had already questioned their son about his quick recovery. Isaac had thought that Jenna wouldn't mind, so he had explained about hers and Mia's healing abilities. Flint and Ground were both clueless about that, and they looked inquiringly at the three.

"Imagine if Jenna hadn't stopped us from telling the doctors. It'd have travelled to the media," Isaac said, shaking his head. _News travel fast, indeed._

"You'd never have been able to leave the hospital," Dora agreed. "But really, Isaac, maybe it would have been better had you stayed at the hospital and received proper treatment."

"Mom, I'm fine. Mia did a great job with my body, seriously," Isaac assured her. Kyle grinned.

"Oh, really?"

Both Dora and Kyle grabbed a maroon pillow from the sofa they sat on and smacked him on the head.

"It's not like that!" Isaac said, looking exasperated. He stomped up to his room, mumbling about bed and rest.

"Kyle, our son is only sixteen. You can be a big idiot sometimes," Dora said. Rising, she also left the room.

"What? I was only teasing!" Kyle defended, spreading his hands. He received no reply.

"Would someone please fill us in?" Flint asked. Ground nodded in agreement. Kyle stared at them.

They stared back at him.

"It's complicated." Kyle also left the room.

Flint and Ground turned towards each other.

"_Humans_," said Flint. "They're all like that."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Remember, Clubs will start this week, so new members, be sure to check the noticeboard outside the canteen for the dates and times of your meetings or practices," Kraden said. "You are now dismissed... Eh?"

Isaac tried to crane his neck to see what the small commotion in front was about. Too many people were in the way. He could only see Kraden covering the microphone with one hand as he bent over towards someone.

"What do you reckon's going on?" Garet asked, poking Isaac from behind.

"Your guess is as good as mine, if not better," Isaac said rather crossly. "You're taller than me, you know."

Garet simply grinned at him.

Kraden straightened and took his hand off the microphone.

"Er... sorry, wrong announcement. The Principal would like a word with all of you, so please remain seated."

Immediately, chatters broke out amoung the students. The principal rarely spoke, and one could only guess what he wanted.

"What's the principal want?" Garet asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Isaac repeated. "If everyone would keep quiet, we'd find out sooner.

Evidently, Kraden thought so too.

"_Silence_!" he ordered sternly. Isaac could tell that he had no idea what the principal wanted, and was eager for the students to be silent so that he would be able to listen to the principal.

Eventually, the students did quieten down. Kraden stepped away and the principal took his place.

He looked almost exactly like how he looked the first time Isaac had seen him. Neat, pale grey hair, emerald green eyes. Wrinkle-less, both on the skin and the clothes. A grey cloak was the only difference; it covered everything below his head. And as usual; no expression. As he looked around the gathered students, his glance seemed to fall on certain students.

One of whom was Isaac.

Unnerved, Isaac broke eye contact and looked away. When he turned back, the principal began to address the school.

"I'm sure many, if not all of you, have heard about the incident at Fern Mansion three nights ago," he said in his deep, clear voice. Isaac shifted uncomfortably. Even if Kraden hadn't told him that Isaac was involved, he must have discovered that somehow.

"Our special abilities should not be used for greed. Everything that the gods give us is given so we can benefit others and live happy lives. Even our changing abilities. Rather than using them to harm others, we should be using them to perform good deeds. Not neccessary _great_ deeds, but things that put a smile on someone else's face." 

The principal glanced around. Several students around coloured up.

"Kindness should be put into consideration when you change. To be sure, combat is a large part of our syllables. But this is the result of riots in the past between changers and non-changers; some non-changers attack us with no reason now. Though sparring can be fun, it does not mean that too much violence will be tolerated. It's best if everything can be solved verbally, rather than physically."

"I hope all of you understand what I am saying, for nothing good will come out the desire to destroy. Think over what I have said. May the gods be with you."

Two hands were stretched out, then brought together as the owner bowed.

_I never asked what this was about,_ Isaac thought suddenly, remembering that the principal had bowed in the same way the previous week.

Nearly all the other students rose and performed similar bows. Confused, Isaac stood up and watched. 

"What's this about?" he asked Garet as the principal retreated.

"The principal believes heavily in the gods," Garet replied. "This is supposed to be some... prayer thing, I think."

Isaac didn't think that the principal was the type to make random prayer bows to gods for no reason.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Today, we're going to start work!" Mr Mil said cheerfully. The class predictably released groans.

"Can't we have more ghost stories?" Amber asked hopefully. She had short black hair pulled back in a ponytail, which was always escaping.

"You guys wanna hear ghost stories?"

Nod nod.

"... Well... OKAY!" Mr Mil scribbled the words 'Pythagoras' Theorem' over the whiteboard.

"I thought you said-!"

"Ghost stories!"

"Don't interrupt me!" Mr Mil warned. "I'm not done talking and you interrupt me!"

Pouting, he turned and began drawing. The curved lines resembled a...

"Oh no! My triangle turned into a riceball!" Mr Mil cried. "DIE!"

"We value our lives, thanks!" Garet yelled, shaking with laughter. Mr Mil stared at him.

"Too bad," he said simply. Holding out both hands, he exclaimed again. "DIE!"

Turning, Mr Mil erased the curved lines and drew a perfect right angled triangle. Below one horizontal line, he wrote '5km'. Next to the vertical line that started from the right end of the horizontal line, he wrote '6km'. On top of the diagonal line that ran from the left end of the horizontal line to the top of the vertical line, he wrote 'hypotenuse'.

"Now. A woman was running in a graveyard once. I don't know why she was there, but she just was," Mr Mil said. "Suddenly, something white that resembled a human on a mule jumped up. She ran across the graveyard to avoid the ghost. See!"

Mr Mil traced the line 'hypotenuse'.

"If you can tell me the distance that the woman ran, I'll tell you what happens next in the story. Deal?"

"But you're supposed to be TEACHING Pythagoras' Theorem!" Rachel protested. "We don't KNOW how to solve it on our own yet! That's not fair!"

"Too bad!" Mr Mil said gleefully. "We'll get back to that later. Open your textbooks to page 16. Be careful that the were-termite that exists in every single book doesn't jump out and bite you! I don't want to have to deal with incurable poison. Okay?"

"Okay!" The class chorused.

"Okay okay?"

"Okay okay!"

"Wrong answer. When I say 'okay', you say 'okay'. When I say 'okay okay', you say 'all right square.' Okay okay?"

"All right square!"

"Vely kood."

9A burst into uncontrollable laughter.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"All right, 9A! Settle down quickly!" Miss Sesabiant trilled, smiling. "I will be your science teacher this year!"

Nearly no one paid any attention to her.

"I must tell you, I don't care about your scores. So whether or not you're listening to me, is none of my business. I teach, and if you listen, good! If not, I won't repeat. So, this is known as a learn-to-swim-by-watching-the-instructor-without-using-floats class. Do I make myself clear?"

The smile on Tira Sesabiant's face as she rattled out the base for her teaching method made her seem like a sadist. Which she was.

Immediately, the class keep silent. Miss Sesabiant's smile widened.

"Good children. Please remove all unneccessary items on your tabletops except your Science textbook and your stationary. I give you 10 seconds!" 

Her instructions were carried out in 9 and a half.

"Veeery good. Can anyone tell me the topics we will be touching on first?"

Rachel raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Seesaw?"

"It's Aishaw. Scalar and Vector," Rachel replied, twitching an eyebrow.

"Excellent."

"How does she know?" Joash interrupted.

"It's in the textbook," Rachel replied with a matter-of-fact tone.

"That's right. I expect all of you to read ahead of lessons. If you understand by just reading, marvellous! If you don't understand, then pay attention to me. If you still don't understand after that, then you should ask for a tutor," Miss Sesabiant announced. "Now, I need a demonstrator..."

Miss Sesabiant picked up a file with the class register inside and peered at the names. 

"Hmm... Hmmm... Isaac Gaia!"

_Oh, crap. _Isaac stood up uncertainly. Miss Sesabiant grinned.

"Come up to the front, little dragon!"

Isaac froze. The rest of the class looked from him to Miss Sesabiant, wondering what was going on.

"Don't worry, it's just a nickname!" Miss Sesabiant said, still smiling. "How about 'Demi-Dragon'? Sounds good?"

"How about Dumb Dragon?" Joash suggested. Isaac grabbed Garet's eraser and threw it at him.

"Come now, class, stop wasting time!" Miss Sesabiant said. "Demi-Dragon, come here!"

Reluctantly, Isaac moved in front of her. Miss Sesabiant then wrote 'Scalar' onto the whiteboard.

"A scalar quantity means a quantity of magnitude. Magnitude is nothing but a fancy name for size. So scalar contains only size," Miss Sesabiant explained simply. "For example, there are differences in the sizes of force if I do this..."

She tapped the surprised Isaac's cheek.

"... And this." She slapped Isaac lightly.

"OOOOOOHHH." The students made noise. Again.

With a 'wha?' expression, Isaac stared at his teacher. She beamed at him, then turned and wrote 'Vector' next to 'Scalar'.

"A vector quantity has both quantities of magnitude and direction. For example, this-"

She slapped Isaac again.

"-is different from-"

Placing her hand on Isaac's cheek, she moved her arm backwards away from him, hitting the globe behind her.

"-this."

Isaac rubbed his slightly red cheek as he tried to absorb what was being taught. Sniggers still filled the class.

"So even though I may have hit Demi-Dragon and the globe with the same force, it is different because I moved in different directions," Miss Sesabiant said. Raising her hand, she slapped Isaac _again_. "See, if I do this, he dies of pain. Yet if I do this-"

She smacked the globe _again_. "He dies as well." 

_Huh?_

"He dies of laughter. 'Ahahah, Miss Sesabiant can't slap!'."

It was the class that died of laughter.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Break after one and a half hours of science gave the students a chance to sigh and complain.

As well as run off towards the hall.

"Isaac? Where are you going?" Garet demanded, running after him

"I'm going to see Kraden!" Isaac replied, slowing down.

"You're always seeing him!" Garet complained. "Are the two of you an item or something?" 

"Wha-! NO! What on earth are you thinking!" Isaac smacked him with his school diary.

"Hey, it's true. You're always running into the hall when it's not your changing lesson. Let me play gooseberry today," Garet joked.

"Idiot!" Isaac said with a laugh, knocking on the hall doors.

"Creature Creature."

"Changer Changer."

Kraden opened the door and grinned.

"Come in, both of you!" 

Hopping in, the two saw Jenna, Mia, Felix and Piers putting down their bags on the stage.

"Honestly, Isaac, you keep on turning up when it's not your lesson!" Jenna said. "Are you dating Kraden or something?"

Garet let out a howl of laughter as Mia, Felix, Piers and Kraden coughed. Isaac clenched his teeth as he climbed onto the polished stage.

"I could always throw a flowerpot at you," he said.

"Go ahead and try!" Jenna challenged. "You wouldn't dare. I just recovered from a faint, you know."

"Enough!" Kraden said, still coughing. "What's the matter, Isaac? Is it about the Fern Mansion thing?"

"Yeah."

"What about it?" Piers asked.

"Oh yeah, you two weren't around." Felix began to give both Piers and Garet a brief summary of what had happened.

"Then Mia and Jenna healed everyone, and fainted."

"I slept until this morning," Jenna said.

"And she's still tired," Felix added. "Don't try to deny it!"

"Me too," Mia agreed, smiling faintly. "I was nodding off in class all the time..."

"Such a big thing happened to you guys?" Piers looked appalled.

"Yeah! Why wasn't I involved?" Garet demanded. "It's not fair!"

"That's not the point! It was dangerous!" Piers said, glaring at the red headed changer.

"Hey, danger's my middle name," Garet said with a grin.

"You wouldn't have wanted to be there, Garet," Felix said. "Injuries hurt."

"Injuries healing... eh?" Kraden scratched his head thoughtfully. "I never thought much about that... No animals do any healing, and you students are the first mythicals of this school. I haven't been able to study other mythicals, but I certainly have never heard about recovery powers."

"But you think it's one of the abilities of our creatures?" Jenna asked.

"Yes, indeed. I think that Sheba was right about your mermaid, Mia. This is what probably happened. Mia didn't have enough energy to heal Jenna completely, because Jenna's wounds were extremely serious. So she fainted from sheer exhaustion. Jenna's own healing powers were somehow activated by Mia's, and began to heal her reflexively. Later... Um... when Jenna got worked up... She was worried about the rest of you! So she wanted to protect you guys just then, and her healing abilities started up!"

It was a long rant in one breath.

"Kraden, ever thought of doing tongue twisters?" Garet commented.

"You're probably right," Jenna said, pushing Garet aside. "Should Mia and I try healing again?"

"Right now, I wouldn't advise it," Kraden said. "Both of you are probably still near exhaustion, and besides, what is there to heal? I think you two should spend today's lesson sleeping. We'll see how much energy healing saps from you."

Nodding, the girls jumped off the stage and obediently sat down to rest.

"Garet, Isaac, you're having recess now, am I right?"

Both students nodded in reply.

"Well then, go to the library and search for the book called 'Old Legends'. It's not in the library database for some reason; it must have been a long time since anyone checked it out. Come back for your Changing lesson in half an hour's time," Kraden instructed.

"What kind of a book is that?" Garet asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've seen it before," Isaac replied, slinging his back over one shoulder. "Come on, let's go."

As he headed for the door, he glanced at Jenna and Mia. Both girls were trying to find a comfortable position on the chairs to sleep in.

_Hope they feel better soon..._

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"We've searched and searched AND searched," Garet moaned. "Are you sure it's here?"

"Positive," Isaac replied, pushing a pile of books to the side of the shelf. "I checked it out the other time, but Rachel returned it. And the librarian says that she shelved it somewhere."

"And forgot about it."

"Yup."

"You do realise that our Changing lesson is supposed to have started?" Garet said.

"Kraden won't mind." Isaac moved on to the next shelf. "This book could be really important."

"In what way?"

"Ivan said..."

_Would it be all right to tell him what Ivan said?_

"Who's Ivan?"

"Nothing," Isaac replied hastily, walking over to another shelf. Fortunately, Garet did not pursue the matter.

"I tell you, I'm sick of all these books. Tell you what; I'll head for Changing first, and inform Kraden, all right?"

"Okay. I'll follow in a few minutes," Isaac said vaguely, scanning his eyes briefly across the book spines.

With Garet gone, the library seemed very quiet. Patiently, Isaac searched the shelves for the book. Glancing at his watch, which read 11.13, he decided to search one more shelf before he went back to the hall. The scent of mahogany could be faintly smelt as he moved to scan through numerous books.

_Autumn Winds, What a Swan Does, Titles and Names, Old Legends, Drama and Tales..._

**Old Legends?  
**  
Isaac whipped the book out of the shelf. Familiar gold lettering shone on the cover.

It was The Book!

Turning it around, Isaac stared at the short paragraph behind.

_'Megaera's Study'. Megaera...? Isn't the author supposed to be Thor?_

Then a hand descended on his shoulder.

Isaac froze.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

There! I'm really, really satisfied with this one

Okay, maybe not extremely satisfied, but at least I managed to write between tests and homework!

One thing though. School can be useful! (points above) The section on Scalar and Vector were taught to me only a couple of weeks ago! And oh, I don't own Tira Sesabiant's um... way of teaching. XDDD It belongs to my Physics teacher Mr Faaiz!

Isaac: ... You got her to _slap_ me.

Don't worry, she can't do any damage. At least, not enough to kill. Yes, I'm a sadist, and I torture the cast.

Until next time!

Daidairo


	18. Half an Actual Chapter

Creature Changers

Sorry for the long time I took. But I was writing my other fic, 'The Mediator', for some time. Yes, to all Mudshippers interested, I'm continuing The Mediator! Please proceed to read if you have not already done so! (advertising stupidly)

To the Valeshipper who did not stop reading, I thank you! I'm not allowed to give a response, I know, but someone didn't leave his email ; I'm glad that you're continuing to support Creature Changers in spite of the pairing thing, and I ask that you leave your email so I can get back to you regarding some points you raised in your review. Thank you!

.hguoht, sciryl eht nwo do I .rehtie semyhr yresrun eht nwo t'nod I .sdarwkcab gnitirw fo aedi eht nwo I .nuS nedloG nwo t'nod I :remialcsiD

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 18: Half an Actual Chapter

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Are you interested in old myths and legends?"

Slowly, Isaac turned. He came face to face with none other than the principal himself. Calm, collected, and dressed in dull colours as usual.

"Um... Yes, sir," he replied nervously. _Whoa. His height is about the same as mine. Wait, what am I thinking!_

The principal nodded unsmillingly. He pulled one arm from behind him and held a large, thick book to Isaac. It was about the size of four scanners, and was covered in thick black leather. Greyish white letters spelt 'Mythical Monsters' on it.

"You might find this interesting." Then he dumped the book onto Isaac's arms, taking 'Old Legends' from him.

Isaac staggered with the weight of the book. It was by Prey Hunter, and Isaac's mind repeated the word 'oxymoron' as he half dragged, half carried the book to the nearest yellow plastic table that stood by the side of another shelf behind the principal. The short, childish looking table let loose a thump as the book was placed heavily onto it.

_Who would buy something so heavy? _Isaac rubbed his sore arms, wincing as he did. He turned to face the principal.

"Sir, I'm afraid what I'm after is..."

He trailed off. The principal had disappeared. And 'Old Legends' was nowhere to be seen.

"Bother!" Isaac glared at the 'Mythical Monsters' crossly. But there was nothing he could do. Returning to the entrance of the library, he picked up his bag and began to head for the hall.

_Maybe I'm thinking too much, but... It seemed as if he was trying to stop me from taking the book._

Then again, he has no reason to do that... has he? He probably doesn't know about Thor... does he?

Maybe he just didn't want me to hold on to a book with a red tag.

Or maybe I'm just hallucinating.

Deep in thought, he failed to realise that the doors to the hall were already opened, and he walked straight into the door opener.

Jumping back, he clutched his forehead with a quiet moan.

"Oh for... Watch where you're going!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Isaac apologised, peeking out from beneath his hand. His death sentence was announced by the extremely irritated look on Jenna's face.

"I've had a terrible headache, I'm dreadfully tired, I wasn't able to sleep much just now, and you _hit_ _my head_."

"Enough, Jenna," Felix steered her away from Isaac and towards the staircase. Piers followed, grinning apologetically. Mia also exited the hall, yawning. Isaac noticed white gloves covering her hands. He stared after them, feeling guilty.

_They spent their energy healing us..._

"Come in, Isaac," Kraden urged, shutting the door behind him. "Did you find the book?"

"Yes, but..." Quickly, Isaac explained what had happened in the library, voicing out his opinions about how the principal seemed eager to get the book away from him.

"Why would that old geezer want to stop you from taking the book?" Garet asked. 

"Garet! Is that the way to talk about your principal?" Kraden chided. His eyes grew thoughtful. "I'll try to speak to him about this. I don't understand what he's thinking of, either."

"But if that book is the one we're after, we have to get it somehow." Another voice said.

Isaac turned in surprise, and saw Ivan standing behind him. Next to him was the small, purple bird that had fought the cyclops at Fern Mansion. Sheba. Isaac observed her in detail for the first time.

Besides being a royal purple colour, Sheba had other unbirdlike features that caused blinking and releases of 'eh?'. Crown feathers drooped at either side of her head, uncannily reminding Isaac of Sheba's hair. Two long feathers with emerald green and purple tips, which resembled those of a peacock's, grew out from her otherwise short tail, carressing her dark orange claws.

"Hey... I didn't see you guys..." Isaac greeted, staring at Sheba.

"They have changing with us. Kraden, what is that?" Garet asked. "Just a purple bird, right?"

"How many purple birds have you seen? With peacock-like feathers on the tail? Oh, you've probably seen a thousand of them flying around," Ivan said, raising an eyebrow.

"Garet, it's a phoenix," Kraden said. "Yes, I know phoenixes are supposed to be wielders of fire. But the appearance fits a phoenix. Except maybe the 'fiery gold plummage' bit."

"Isaac, is the book...?" Ivan questioned quietly.

"I don't think so. You said it's by Thor, right? Behind 'Old Legends' is a line that says 'Megaera's Study'. Before I could read any further, the principal took it," Isaac replied.

"Megaera? So... we've been after the wrong book?" Ivan heaved a big sigh. "Now what are we supposed to..."

"Ivan! Isaac! Let's begin lesson!" Kraden called.

Sighing, Ivan reached his hand underneath the collar of his shirt. Then he changed.

Isaac blinked.

A four legged creature stood in his place. It was about the size of a full grown Labrador. Excluding the long wings that grew from the top of each front leg. An eagle's head and claws for front legs, and a lion's body and hindlegs made up the gryphon.

"Izzat a... griffin?" Garet asked, pointing.

"It's not polite to point!" Kraden pushed his finger down. "And Ivan prefers the name 'gryphon'."

"Why?"

"Because 'griffin' is too widely used."

"Isn't he kind of small for a gryphon?" Isaac pointed out. The eagle beak let out a growl, much to Isaac's amazement. _I was expecting a shriek._

"Weell... It might have to do with the age. Maybe it's still at infant stage. I mean, we tried the other day, and Ivan cannot fly yet," Kraden said.

"I've been a sphinx for years and I still can't fly either," Garet objected.

"You can't fly?" Isaac asked in disbelief. 

"Yeah, does that bother you?" Garet said grumpily.

"Don't worry, Garet, flying has its disadvantages, and you should stick to running," Kraden said. "Now, the two of you will begin meditation."

"After all that has happened in the past hour, I don't think either of us can concentrate on meditation," Garet remarked, climbing onto the stage and sitting down nonetheless. Isaac followed suit, before both closed their eyes and minds to their surroundings.__

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000  
_  
_"What do we have next?" Isaac asked, waving goodbye to Sheba and Ivan. 

"IT with Mr Louyi Marx," Garet replied. "The labs are on the fourth floor."

"You mean, computer labs?"

"Yeah. Up the stairs here. Auditorium and Science Labs are on fourth too," Garet rattled on. "Do you have a computer?"

"Mom threw away my old one, and the new one is arriving only two weeks later," Isaac replied.

The two met their class strolling up the last flight of stairs to the fourth floor. Casually, they joined them and talked away as if they had not been elsewhere for the past hour. The door to one of the labs opened, and a very short, very fat man peered out.

He had dark brown hair that stuck out of his head in bunches like mountains, and a spiky brown moustache to match. His eyes were piercingly black, covered by large, thick glasses, and he scrutinised the students with distaste.

"Get in," he said abruptly. Lowering their voices, the class scuttled past him into the laboratory. Seeing the students sit themselves according to class index number, Isaac copied them and moved to computer number seven. Mr Marx moved to the front and climbed onto a stool that sat in front of the visualiser.

"Today, we will be learning how to create viruses. Switch on your computers and log in to your new accounts. Remember, your username and password is your full name, until you change it. I give you 8 minutes to do that."

Hitting the power button on his computer, Isaac turned to Joash, who was sitting beside him.

"Shouldn't we be learning to bust viruses instead?"

"Marxie only teaches seventh and eighth graders how to do that. He frequently grabs viruses ninth and tenth graders create and throw them to the younger ones, and base their exams on that. Whoever gets the last laugh passes," Joash whispered back. "So IT exams are based on skill, as well as luck."

Alarmed, Isaac decided to give the teacher his fullest attention.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"What do we have next?" Isaac asked tiredly. Mr Marx had done nothing but bark out instructions every couple of minutes, each set of instructions taking only a couple of seconds to complete, leaving the class with nothing to do most of the time. By the end of the lesson, all that was accomplished was the body data of one tiny virus.

"Music," Garet said in disgust. "I hate music lessons. They're real boring. Third floor."

"Music is one of the most important aspect of entertainment. In fact, many conflicts between states and countries involved music, and scientists have proven that it is impossible for a human being to live without music," Rachel informed him.

"Aw, cut it out, Rachel. Not everyone has a crush on Mr Anderson," Joash said. "Besides, we're having Miss Aerolker this year."

Isaac laughed as Rachel raised her books and began to play tag. He recognised the music teacher that stood by the Performing Arts Room as the person who had tortured Ivan the previous Saturday.

Dressed in a bright yellow, ankle length dress with long sleeves, she looked like an overgrown buttercup. As she raised one ring covered hand and waved the students into the room, she trilled in a clear, sweet voice.

"Come along! Welcome to your first music lesson of the year!"

Isaac nearly expected a 'darling' behind her sentence. Following the class, he removed his shoes and placed them in the shoe rack outside the room.

The Performing Arts room had mirrors on all four walls, with _barres _covering three of them. Even the door was bright silver, with a transparent plastic knob sticking out of it. Leaning against the wall opposite the door were many different instruments; violins, cellos, tamborines and other weird things. A single double-bass lay above several drums, and a few glockenspiels lay in the corner beside a grand piano. Music books and scores were piled neatly one on top of another in a tiny cupboard beside the door, and a rectangular CD case stood on the top like a flag.

Rachel executed a very soft sigh as she entered the room, muttering something about how some teachers were better in technique than others. Chuckling quietly, Isaac and Garet sat down on the vinvyl floor with the rest of the class and waited expectantly as Miss Aerolker swept into a graceful curtsey before them.

"As this is the first lesson, it is common courtesy to introduce ourselves, is it not?" she carolled, smiling as brightly as her dress. "I'd like all of you to come up, and sing a song about yourself. Just pick any song, and change the lyrics. You may use any of the instruments in this room."

There were several moans and groans and 'This is stupid!", but Miss Aerolker just smiled and reached for a glockenspiel.

"I'll begin first." And begin she did. To Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, by goodness knows who.

_"My name's Lena Aerolker  
I am your music teacher  
My house is full of pianos  
My dog's called Fortissimo  
My name's Lena Aerolker  
I am your music teacher."_

Most of the students blinked. Miss Aerolker reached for the register.

"Oh no. We have to compose!" Garet muttered. "Compose compose compose compose..."

Much to his horror, the name that Miss Aerolker picked was...

"Mr Garet Mars!"

Garet shot a despairing glance at his classmates, and Joash leaned over immediately to whisper. Isaac wondered what kind of lyrics he was making up as Garet climbed to his feet and grumpily made his way to the pair of congos that stood at the side.

_He plays the congo? _Isaac wondered. Apparently he did, and his hands moved skillfully between the two drums.

Though his rhythm was good, his pitch was not.

_"Garet is the name for me  
Name for me, name for me  
Garet is the name for me  
I can't rhyme anything..._

Wherever fun and danger go  
Danger go, danger go  
Wherever fun and danger go  
You'll find me right there too..."  
  
"Almost in tune, Mr Mars! Thank you!" Miss Aerolker said. Garet scowled and moved off.

Much to Isaac's relief, the lesson was up before his name was called. The lyrics that he had thought up on the spur of the moment was ridiculous, and he had no wish to perform it in front of the class.

And then it was Class Contact again.

"Most of the menu has been decided, but we need to work out the shifts and jobs of everyone," Miss Malvonite announced.

"That's fast," Isaac said, taken aback.

"That's the thing about this school. Fund-raising events are taken veeeery seriously, so that the school can become richer," Garet said.

"Half of the class will be in charge of pulling customers, while the other half will man the store itself. Please remember that only people with a glued on smily-face can work at the store," Miss Malvonite said. She then began distributing slips of paper. "I'd like you to write your desired occupation on this. Please take note that if you will not be at the fair this Saturday, you have to ask a parent to write a letter to excuse you."

"What are you going for?" Garet asked, nudging Isaac.

"Store, I guess. I'm not a 'come to our stall!' person," the blond replied, chewing on the end of his ball point pen.

"I go for advertising. I just know I'll yell at the customer if he's a spoilt brat," Garet said, scribbling his 'desired occupation' along with his 'reason' down.

"Oooookay..."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Do we have any homework today?"

"Yeah, six questions on the Pythagoras' Theorem chapter; and chapter one of Science And Its Uses," Garet said, closing his locker. "By the way, do you use a handphone?"

"Not much. I also lost one in Vale, and haven't bothered to get another," Isaac replied. His eyes darkened as he remembered where the handphone got lost.

_Inside of that tunnel where we went to dig for artifacts... Where I first changed..._

"I'd like to go back to talk to the librarian about 'Old Legends'," he said aloud. "I mean, if it weren't in the database, how could she have allowed me to borrow the book last Friday?"

"You really seem to be after that book," Garet commented. "Is it because Kraden might like you better if you held on to a book that holds his interest?"

And Dave's exercise book went flying. Garet dodged.

"I never said I liked Kraden in _that_ way!" Isaac said, creasing his forehead.

"Then... you're after the book because you're obssessed with the book instead!"

And Dave's exercise book flew again.

"Ouch! Hey, stop wasting your time on lil' ol' me and go chase your precious book," Garet said, returning the exercise book to a very indignant Dave.

"Oh, be quiet!" Isaac hadn't thought if laughing was a better option compared to getting angry. So he did both. Chuckling with exasperation, he headed for the staircase.

"Hah. Sometimes I just can't help pissing him off," Garet remarked.

"Next time, try to be nice to my book while doing that," Dave growled. Garet stared at him.

"Oh, is that book _your_ precious darling?" he questioned.

And the poor book took to the air for the third time that day.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The librarian was a short sighted, young secretary-like girl with pigtails on both sides of her head. Her name tag, reading 'Geraldine', was pinned to her blouse for the first time that year.

"To tell you the truth, the system was down last Friday," she admitted. "All I did was take down your particulars and the book title, to enter into the database later on. And I did notice that the book is not in our records. So..."

"You have no idea where the book is," Isaac sighed. "Did you see the principal leave with it?"

"To tell you the truth, no. I didn't even notice him leave," Geraldine said. "Sorry, but I can't help you there."

Her eyes widened as the machines by the door started beeping continuously. 

"You there! Come here!" she hailed. Isaac turned. To his surprise, Mia was fumbling with her bag at the entrance of the library. She removed a book from her bag and handed it to Geraldine.

"Sorry. I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing," she muttered in a soft voice.

_She doesn't seem herself. _"Mia, are you all right?" Isaac asked. "If you're still tired, you should go home to rest."

"I'm fine," Mia replied, ignoring Geraldine's rants of 'you-shouldn't-be-taking-books-out-without-borrowing-blah-blah-blah'. Drawing a gloved hand across her face, she moved swiftly out of the library.

Alarmed, Isaac bid Geraldine goodbye and grabbed his bag before racing after Mia. The blue haired girl continued moving, walking blindly down the staircases and out of the school, ignoring all of Isaac's calls.

At least she did not tell him to get lost.

Torn between wanting to stop her to ask what happened, and wanting to leave her alone, Isaac followed Mia until they reached the nearby playground. Where he had talked to Ivan only three days ago. Unlike that day, the playground was deserted this time.

Mia dumped her bag beside the small sandbox and sat herself down on one of the red plastic swings. Her hands gripped the metal chains supporting the swing, and by pushing with her legs, she moved herself listlessly back and forth.

Isaac moved to the rubber tyre swing beside her, and glanced at her in concern.

"What's wrong, Mia?"

There was no reply. As Isaac observed her face, he noticed that her downcast eyes were slightly red. She had been crying, and trying to hide that fact.

_Why? What happened?_

"You might feel better if you got things off your chest," he said.

"I'm fine," Mia replied in a small voice. "I just... discovered how terrible life can be..."

Confused, Isaac stared at her tightly folded lips and tense shoulders.

"Terrible?"

"Something worrying about myself that I never thought too much about..." Mia's blue eyes clouded over, and her knuckles turned white with the force that she exerted on the metal chains.

Isaac stared at his own feet. Life was a mystery, too deep for humans to ponder over. Through many of his previous painful experiences, Isaac had learnt to take things easily. The djinn did not always follow their own advice either, but they had made pacts to cheer each other up whenever something bad came to mind.

"Life can be challenging. Life can also seem impossible. It's definitely not easy to live life. But no matter what happens, we still have to do it," he said. "Happy, or sad, angry or mad, we still have to live."

Mia raised tear filled eyes to him. Isaac smiled ruefully.

"So, rather than spend each day in eternal worry about what might happen, we should face each day happily, and take things as they come. Only worry about today; for you can spend tomorrow worrying about tomorrow," he said. _Maybe I should have said that to Ivan, too._ "I won't force you to tell me what's going on, but if you ever need someone to pour out your troubles to, I'll always be around."

Though many had treated Isaac as a 'counsellor', going to him with their problems, he could not remember any other time when he truly involved himself in the prescription of his patient. Maybe it was the similarity bond that tied him to Mia. They had barely known each other, yet they had so many things in common that Isaac felt as if he could understand Mia like himself.

Only time will tell.

"Thank you... " Mia said softly. She wiped her eyes with fingers that she pulled out from her glove, and smiled slightly. "I suppose it isn't much to worry about, in the first place."

"Then don't worry about it. Go home and rest now. You're still not fully recovered from healing us," Isaac urged. "And remember to do your homework!"

Rising from the swings, the two parted and headed home, each going through mentally what had happened.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Whew. Completed," Isaac said aloud, pleased with himself. He was pretty sure that his Mathematics was done perfectly, even if his forces weren't. Glancing at the sleeping djinn, both lying on his bed, he tiptoed quietly to the light switch and flicked it off. Just as he reached for the controller of the air condition, his nose twitched.  
_  
This feeling is... The smell is...  
_  
The bed creaked. The ground creaked. The window creaked. Isaac jumped awkwardly out and landed in a dazed heap on the lawn below.

It was a familiar feeling. It was an unfamiliar smell. As the grass rustled beneath his feet, Isaac groggily remembered what had happened when he had followed his nose. Against his movements, he tried to stop moving. But his feet disobeyed his will, and stepped forward one after another.

_**More! More! Devour it! Go quickly! Go to that smell!**_

But it's dangerous...

**Hurry up!**

Slowly, Isaac quickened his pace and accelerated. Half-conscious, he again tried to stop himself from moving towards the Changertract potion, if it was one. But though the smell was different, the effects were the same.

Isaac did not know how fast he could run. But he felt the surroundings charge past him. As the smell began stronger, he recognised the same stirring in his blood, and felt his bones shift and transform. His speed increased greatly as he grew bigger, swifter, and fitter. Unlike other times when he changed, his senses did not sharpen. In fact, they dulled as the smell filled his lungs, and as he sped towards several metal fences and thick woods, his mind registered two words before going to sleep.

_Not again..._

Rangers yelled at him as he dashed past, wondering what he was. His claws and elbow blades sliced through leaves as he flew on. There were no animals fleeing at the sound of him, as the forest was already unusually empty of wildlife.

Then Isaac's nose was covered with the alluring smell, as something slammed into his face.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

I had intended for this chapter to be much longer, but I promised a friend that I would get it up quickly.

Besides just normal storyline, I've actually put in a lot of 'mysteries' to worry about since several chapters ago. Partly to give _Creature Changers_ characters more life, because these are real problems that humans with 'no life' spend thinking about. In other words, me. And I should have someone yell Isaac's advice at me.

Isaac: If you _know_ how to type up that paragraph of advice, you shouldn't have any problems with that stuff.

Well, bite me! It's not my fault I'm a fussy worrywart!

Daidairo


	19. Part of the other Half

Creature Changers

Aieee... I really want to write the second half of my chapter... but until today (26th March) I haven't received that many reviews and I'm feeling disheartened... It's not good, I know, but reviews are the energy sources to fuel my inspiration to continue writing. Without them, I don't think I'll be able to pull up a chapter... Nevertheless, I shall try.

Disclaimer: I'm doomed. I'm out of ideas for disclaimers. I'm getting less random. I'm losing my humour. I'm... I'm... I'm rambling. (forgets to type disclaimer)

And not many even noticed what I did to my previous disclaimer. (mopes)

Garet: You're spending too much time feeling sorry for yourself! If you've got time to mope you've got time to write! You still haven't given Piers' creature yet!

S'not as if many many people noticed he's not up yet. Many think that the list is complete. They don't notice Piers at all.

Piers: (feels unloved)

Garet: Too bad.

Piers: At least I'm not a sphinx. I'm a... (gets muffled by Daidairo)

And now I sound like a person who rambles with her muses.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 19: Part of the other Half

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Isaac stumbled and fell backwards, landing with a thud on the grass. The hit had knocked him awake, and he blinked at the spilt pot lying on its side next to him. The liquid that dripped slowly from it was a deep purple colour beneath the night sky, and some parts of the grass it touched were slowly wilting.

Horrified, Isaac looked around him. The forest was thick with trees, and not a single creature was in sight. The beams of moonlight that shone weakly through the leafy canopy of the taller trees were the only source of light in the dark woods, and Isaac felt thankful as his pupils widened like a cat's, allowing more light to hit the retina in each eye, and his eyesight improved.

Isaac began to feel more awake as his previously dulled senses began to sharpen. Unconsciously, he sniffed the air. Badger, fox, weasel, rabbit, bat, all of them gone...

Movement!

Instantly alert, Isaac pressed his feet against the soil and pushed himself up, whirling around to glare at the trees behind him. They were forced apart as a tall, swift animal raced between them, its hoofbeats silent on the soft grass. It raised his extemely long neck and glared down at the dragon. Emitting a low moan, it rushed straight at Isaac.

Isaac leaped to the left, narrowly dodging the sharp hooves of the running reticulated giraffe. The deep red, polygonal spots on its body flashed as it turned, heading for Isaac again.

_Why is a giraffe attacking me for no reason! _Isaac asked himself mentally. As the giraffe neared, he dived between its legs and swung his left elbow blade upwards, striking the giraffe on the upper part of one foreleg. Then the hind legs struck him hard.

The sharp hooves caused him to release several groans, and he pulled himself up as the giraffe turned again. The red gash Isaac had given was not deep, and little blood was trickling from it. Before Isaac could attack, the giraffe placed one leg on Isaac's front and thrust him up into the air.

Anticipating the fall, Isaac's instincts began to orient his body, turning his head and arms toward the ground before impact. But the giraffe had bent its neck, and the bare ossicones on its head gleamed in the moonlight. They slammed hard into his middle, and Isaac released a loud shriek as the giraffe tossed its head back, landing him harshly onto the ground. 

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The dark brown grizzly bear leaped back, shaking its bloodied nose in anger. Before he could make a move, the centaur's hooves slammed it into a tree, and strong arms pinned it against the trunk by the shoulders.

Roaring, the bear struggled to free itself. The fiery panther padded lazily up and pressed several claws theateningly to the bear's throat.

"I think you've had enough," Felix said sternly. "Change back. Now."

The bear ignored his words. Turning its rounded head, it bit down hard on Felix's hand. The hand loosened at once, and the bear scooted to the other side of the tree.

Jenna blocked his way immediately, and the flaming wings surrounded both her and the bear, so that the only way of escape was large enough only for a rabbit to pass through. Sullenly, the bear changed back.

Felix eyed him as he rubbed his bleeding hand. He looked like a miniature version of Brett Marshall, minus a lot of the fat that the cyclops had. His eyes were green, unlike Brett's dull grey. Also unlike Brett, he was dressed in neat, clean clothes.

"Are you related to Brett Marshall?" he asked.

"He's my elder brother," the bear changer replied. He glared at Felix with annoyance. "That's all you're getting out of me."

_Huh. An I-will-protect-my-friends-and-be-honourable hero wannabe. _Felix could almost hear Jenna's voice as her expression changed. Chuckling inwardly, he crouched down beside Brett's brother.

"What is your name?"

"..."

"Who brewed the Changertract potion?"

"That's not a Changertract potion, you simpleton!"

_Aha. Progress, _Felix thought. Realising what he had said, the bear shut up again.

"So we noticed. Changertract potions don't make a Changer change, but this one did. Who brewed it, and why?"

The young man still refused to speak. He turned his face away from Felix, and met Jenna's fierce glare.

"I-It was me!"

"Why did you do that? What do you want from us?" Felix asked.

Silence again. Apparently, threats were the key to the locked mouth.

_This will take some time... Felix thought._

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Wha... wha... WHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHH!"

"What! You got a problem with me?" Garet grumbled.

"Yer a bloody sphinx," the man said between guffaws. His head was covered with long black hair, long black moustache and long black beard.

"_You're_ the one who's going to be bloodified!" Garet yelled. He ran forward on all fours, moving surprisingly fast for something so huge. The man changed quickly into a cinnamon brown walrus, and raised his large tusks.

Alarmed, Garet screeched to a stop just before he hit the sharp tusks. The walrus leapt up and slammed his two tonne body hard against Garet, squashing him like a bug.

"Damn!" Garet struggled to move. His fore legs moved behind the walrus' fore fins, before his hind legs straightened. The walrus slid off his back with a thump, and Garet stuck out all his claws.

The walrus' wrinkly skin was more than a match for the pins, however. The tusks raised again, and Garet retracted his claws. Pulling free from the walrus, he dashed backwards, spreading his wings to keep his balance. Grunting, the walrus ran forward on his flippers, his head down and exposed.

Garet immediately guessed his intention, and he raised both frontpaws to meet the headbutt of the walrus. His immense strength was more than a match for his opponent. The flame on his tail blazed, and his whole body was covered with fire. The front paws blazed brightly on the walrus' head, and the pinniped pulled away with a loud bellow.

Garet watched him warily, and noticed that the colour his skin had begun to turn darker. He knew that his flames weren't hot enough to severely burn anyone yet, so he had not thought of using them at first.

But what if... the walrus was used to being cold?

With a roar, the walrus launched itself at Garet. Flame covered paws moved out again, and Garet thrust his heated claws into the walrus. The fire flew through the walrus' body, and the roar slowly decrescendoed until the walrus lay motionless on Garet's claws.

Garet pulled in his claws and backed away, staring in alarm at the unconscious walrus. He did not seem burnt in any way, but Garet could have roasted his insides. He didn't _look_ dead, but... Changing back, Garet put his hands together.

"Ah... I seem to have done something bad," he said aloud. Changing back, he put his hands together and bowed. "Sorry. Please rest in peace. Don't come back to haunt me."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Isaac climbed to his feet, coughing. He focused his blue eyes on the also injured giraffe.

_At least I know he can get hurt._ Lunging forward, Isaac sank his razor sharp teeth into the giraffe's leg. Blood spurted out from the wound, and Isaac pulled away, choking at the taste of blood. The giraffe bent its neck and rushed at him, ossicones shining. It slammed Isaac into several trees, before it froze and fell to the ground.

_What on earth? _Isaac watched it warily, wondering if it was trying to make Isaac lower his guard. Then he remembered the giraffe lowering its head. With the head below the heart, the sudden movement had cut off the blood access to the brain.

_Is this a victory or not? _Isaac sighed inwardly, then got to his feet. The next thing he knew, the trees behind him were collapsing onto him. Bright feline eyes glared at him from behind the trees, next to a pair of horns that had knocked down the trees.

_A tiger and a goat? What is going on here!_

The tiger was unmistakably Siberian, with its light coat and large size. The goat... Isaac had no idea what it was. But the straight, long horns looked even more dangerous than the giraffe's. Leaping over Isaac, the tiger raced towards the giraffe and began to nudge it. The goat lowered its head, aimed its horns at Isaac, and charged.

Isaac winced as the horns pierced his left shoulder, adding to the pain he already felt. His claws struck out and scratched the goat's eye before the horns withdrew, and the mammal released a loud grunt. Isaac plucked the half blinded goat from his shoulder, then balled his fist and punched him backwards.

Then a long tail slapped his legs from behind, causing him to stumble backwards. The tiger pounced, knocking Isaac to the ground. Growling, his claws flew for Isaac's eyes. Isaac lifted one leg, planted it on the tiger's stomach, and pushed with all his might. The heavy tiger was thrown off, but the goat came back.

And then the giraffe's familiar hoofbeats were heard too. Isaac soon found himself surrounded by three very angry animals. They all attacked at the same time.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"I think you overdid it, Felix," Jenna observed, grinning. Brett's brother had fainted, and was lying unconscious on the grass. Felix removed his hand from his throat and changed back.

"It's not my fault he's a coward," he replied with a sigh. "At least now we know that there's a whole group out there who wants our lives. In fact, I don't think he knows much else."

"Do you think there are other changers being targetted even as we speak?" Jenna asked.

"I have no idea. But it's possible. We should call the..."

Felix broke off as the leaves around rustled. Frowning, he turned towards the direction of the noise and moved in front of Jenna.

The bushes rustled again, and Mia's head popped out from it.

"Cascade?"

"Mia!"

"You've been attracted by the Changertract potion again too?" Mia asked, looking stunned at the sight of them. She pulled herself from the bushes, extracting her long, brown overcoat from the twigs that were sticking out.

"It's not the Changertract potion. It's called the MaxC-tract potion," Jenna said. "An evolved version of the Changertract, apparently."

Seeing Mia's confused face, Felix sighed. "It's a long story."

"But... is it Brett Marshall again?" Mia asked.

"His younger brother." Jenna pointed. "From the same family, at least."

"This time, it doesn't seem as if they're after our abilities, though," Felix said. "_He_ certainly said nothing about it. It was just 'We're going to kick your butts!'"

Mia eyed him. "Would it be all right to leave him like that?"

Felix shrugged. "There's nothing else we can do. Bringing him back isn't quite a good option either."

"We're going to head back? There ought to be quite a large group still in these woods! Shouldn't we go find them?" Jenna objected.

"And then do what? Jump into trouble?" Felix raised an eyebrow at his younger sister.

"But other changers might be having trouble! We should help!"

"You just want to get mixed up in this. Jenna, we're going to..."

But what Felix was going to do nobody knew. A long, ear piercing shriek rang out through the night. Startled, the trio looked around them warily.

"That scream... sounds so familiar..." Mia said.

"In what way?" Jenna asked, puzzled.

"I'm not sure, but... I've heard it somewhere before! I think it's someone I know!" Mia began heading towards the direction of the commotion.

"Mia! Come back!" Felix yelled. He seemed to have given up formalities in the face of danger. "You won't be able to do anything against them as a mermaid!"

"I know there's something wrong! We can't just leave whoever it is to fend for himself!" Mia called back over her shoulder as she disappeared from the clearing to the trees.

"I hate to say it, but she's right," Felix muttered. "Coming, Jenna?"

All three Changers broke into a run as they flashed between the trees. Dead leaves crackled beneath their feet, and within seconds another running changer was in sight.

"Garet! You here too!" Jenna called. Turning, Garet stopped running.

"This really, really sounds like a repeat of what just happened," he remarked. "Danger is my middle name, indeed..."

"Oh, enough with that. Did you hear the yell?" Jenna demanded.

"More like a screech, yeah," Garet replied. "Yonder."

He raised a finger and pointed. Everyone stared. Long, long legs. Belonging to a large, large body and a long, long neck.

"Oof. Giraffes look much, much smaller on television," Jenna said.

And the giraffe grew even bigger when it staggered back towards them, breaking down many of the trees in its way. Releasing similar screams, the Changers scattered and dived out of the large animal's landing area.

Of course, that just gave them away.

Bright yellow eyes glowed in front of Felix. His hand instinctively reached for his birthmark. But his fingers were knocked away as the Siberian tiger pounced.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

There. I'll leave it at that. It's been a short chapter indeed... Or maybe, normal length. Considering the details squashed up together. I actually went to research on details! I really, really did! So of course it would take some time and all...

Did anyone notice Isaac's eyes...?

Oh well.

Happy Easter to all!

Daidairo


	20. The Last Half of the Chapter

Creature Changers

Sorry for the very late update... I was planning to get this chapter up a week ago, but I went away for torture camp, you see...

And of course, from that camp, I bring lots of juicy new ideas home! Expect a lot more content!

Disclaimer: YES YES YES! A LOT MORE REVIEWS THIS TIME! Thank you so much everyone! Please continue to review! Yayyyyy! (dances)

(and forgets the disclaimer again)

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 20: The Last Half of the Chapter

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Felix gasped for breath as his heavy opponent crushed him to the ground, knocking the wind out of him. Sharp gleaming fangs glistened in front of him before they went for his throat. Felix felt the tiger's hot breath on his neck, and squeezed his eyes shut, pushing hard with his weak arms in a futile attempt to get the mammal off himself.

_Is this the end! _Why had he allowed himself to get caught without changing? Felix cursed himself for making the biggest mistake of his life. His heart stopped as the weight disappeared.

So. He was dead. Now he couldn't feel anything.

"Felix! Get your stupid hide up and help!"

So this is what the afterlife was like. With Garet yelling at you.

Stunned, Felix opened his eyes. Though his body was sore from being pushed down, he felt fine. Pushing himself up, he turned to look at Garet. He was in sphinx form, struggling with the tiger. They matched each other claw for claw, paw for paw, as they tumbled over each other in attempts to reach vital points in the opponent's body. They rolled over and splashed into a hidden swamp.

Felix reached for his birthmark and changed at once, climbing onto four hooves. Mia was binding an unconscious man to a tree with stems from a strangling fern, and Felix guessed that he was the fallen giraffe. Jenna was struggling to stay airborne between the twigs and branches of the trees, and evade the horns and headbutts of her goatly rival at the same time.

And the dragon was on the ground, bloodied and unconscious.

"Jenna! You see to Isaac! Try to heal him!" Felix cried, galloping forward towards the goat. Before the astonished changer could react, Felix had grabbed the animal around the middle and tackled it to the ground. Jenna landed and drew in her wings, running swiftly towards Isaac.

The goat kicked out with its own hooves and sprang up on all fours. Lowering its head, it aimed its head at Felix and charged. The centaur was knocked backwards by the headbutt, and landed in a bush of very prickly leaves. Cursing, he struggled to his feet, trying to ignore the sore feeling in his front. Definitely bruised. The goat tossed its head proudly and stared at Felix with glittering eyes.

"Felix! I can't heal Isaac! I don't know how!"

Distracted, Felix turned. Jenna was kneeling in front of Isaac in her own form, running her hands over certain joints, checking for any major injuries. Her face was pale, and Felix feared the worst. Mia was done with the giraffe, and she ran towards Jenna and Isaac.

Then he was butted in the side by the goat. Kraden's voice came back to him.

_Rule number 05: Never turn your back on an enemy._

He was truly careless today. It must be the MaxC-potion. Grunting, Felix struggled to regain his footing on the muddy patch of ground he had fallen into as the goat rained bruising blows on him with its hooves. Felix reached and clutched two thin legs, and summoned his strength to throw the goat in front of him. He clambered up and raced towards the goat, drawing back his arm in a punch.

Suddenly, the goat thrust up its head, pointing its horns backwards. Felix couldn't stop, and the momentum sent him rushing forward, impaling him on the sharp horns...

Felix gasped as the horns pierced his skin. One failing trait of a centaur was the very vunerable skin. Pain stung at him repeatedly, and he felt his head start swimming. The goat bellowed a cry of victory, and its hind legs kicked up, striking Felix hard in the abdomen. Forcing himself to focus, he gripped the horns of the goat tightly in both hands, and pulled with all his might. The horns torn away from the goats head with a sickening rip, and the cry of the goat this time was of pain. Felix stared in horror as blood spilled from the goat's head. It collapsed and lay still. 

Not trusting himself to look at the wound on the goat, Felix concentrated instead on his own wound, which was bleeding profusely. Gripping the horns still embedded in him, Felix pulled again, this time in the opposite direction. His own skin tore out, and sharp, intolerable pain seared through him. Dropping the blood covered horns, Felix staggered over to Isaac, Jenna and Mia.

"It's not helping," Jenna moaned as Mia sang, refusing to stop. Streams of water were flowing into Isaac, but none of his wounds were healing and he was still unconscious. Blood covered his entire body, and certain joints were twisted at impossible angles, suggesting breaks in bone. Felix winced. Inwardly, he wondered if Isaac was still alive... Jenna looked up as Felix collapsed onto the ground, and gasped at the open wound in his stomach. Mia looked up as well, and aimed one hand at Felix. Her voice continued to ring out, and Felix felt the cooling water soothe his wounds.

"There's nothing wrong with your abilities," Felix assured Mia, still groaning slightly. "I'm recovering. Slowly, but it works."

"Then how come Isaac..." Jenna stared at the unconscious dragon in dismay. She reached for her birthmark and changed, covering Isaac with one wing. But he just began smoking slightly, and Felix quickly brushed the wing away.

"These flames aren't the healing ones. They're hot, Jenna. You'd be doing damage," he said. _Darn it, Isaac... Wake up!_

Jenna changed back. "Mia, why isn't it working!"

Mia didn't dare to speak. She continued singing.

"Wait, your mermaid is immortal, isn't she?" Jenna suddenly said. "I remember reading somewhere that the immortal spirit of a mermaid can save lives!"

Mia froze, and she turned to glance at Jenna sharply.

"Immortal spirit? Can it be given away?" Felix asked. After Mia stopped singing, his body began to feel sore again.

"The book I read said so! It would make a person immortal, and heal all his wounds! Mia, do try!" Jenna pleaded. 

"I... I can't..." Mia lowered her face. Felix stared. What was that expression...? Pain? Despair?

"Why not! You have to save Isaac!"

"But... I can't! I don't even know if it's possible!" Mia protested.

"Well, you could try!" Jenna insisted. "You're the only one who can save Isaac now!"

Mia turned to stare at Isaac. The tears in her eyes fell.

"I... won't. I can't. Please don't ask me to give Isaac my immortality..." she faltered.

"Why not?" Jenna felt a wave of anger surge through her. Isaac still lay there, probably dying, and Mia didn't want to help. "You just want to keep your long life to yourself, don't you! You're so selfish!"

"Jenna!" Felix warned. But his sister's hot temper and tongue was lashing out.

"You're just thinking of yourself, aren't you! Can't you spare a thought of Isaac? Can't you see that he's dying!" Tears rolled down Jenna's own cheeks. She could not imagine Isaac dying. It was only some time ago since he last spoke to her. Her heart convulsed painfully, and she grabbed Mia's shoulders and shook her hard.

"Don't! I have my reasons!" Mia argued. "You just don't understand!"

"Break it up!" Felix yelled, separating both girls. He ignored the pain of his still unhealed injuries. "The more you argue, the more time you waste!"

_His heart is still beating... there's still a chance..._ Felix thought. _Come on, Isaac. You can't just end here!_

Mia said no more. She began her song again, concentrating her energy on the fallen dragon. Jenna sat down and fumed, staring worriedly at Isaac. All three changers watched the dragon desperately, each hoping that his wounds would close, that he would heal. But it failed to happen. A sense of dread settled in their hearts, and they watched in despair as Isaac's heartbeat began to slow.

Just then, a loud roar reminded them that Garet was still engaged in battle. Felix got up to help, but stumbled down again.

"I'll go help him," Jenna said, her voice cracking. Throwing another anxious look at Isaac, she changed and raced between the trees towards the swamp.

Mia turned to Isaac, her voice faltering slightly.

"Don't worry about me. I'll still survive," Felix said, guessing that she felt guilty about not healing him. "Concentrate on Isaac for now."

Felix felt more worried than he showed. In the short period of time since they met, he had gotten to know and like Isaac. Felix felt warning bells ring in his ears. He did not want to lose this friend...

_If only I could heal as well... I can't even go over to help Garet and Jenna..._

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The tiger writhed in pain, though the heat was not immense enough to burn it. Both Garet and Jenna stuck out flaming claws and stabbed them into the skin of the tiger. It let lose one last shriek, then fell, splashing both Garet and Jenna with swampy water. Breathing hard, they pulled out their claws.

"How's Isaac?" Garet breathed, changing back. His clothes still retained the mud and water from the swamp. Jenna changed back as well, her face pale.

"No good... He..."

A loud bellow cut through the night. Startled, both Garet and Jenna turned and ran. They made their way back through the trees to the other changers, and froze at the sight of the still injured giraffe and a still injured Felix engaged in combat.

"It must have changed and busted the tree!" Garet cried. Rushing forward, he changed again and slammed hard into the giraffe's side, pushing it off Felix. "Felix, go get Mia to heal you!"

Felix knew that getting himself unconscious would help no one. Leaving the giraffe to Garet and Jenna, he limped back to where Isaac lay.

Was it just his imagination, or had Isaac's twisted leg moved?

Mia was also concentrating hard on Isaac. Staring intently at the foot, she heard a soft crunch as the joint creaked and the foot twisted itself back into position. The bone was healing.

Mia felt a deep feeling of relief wash over her. _He's healing! He's recovering! He's going to be all right! _She concentrated harder, singing out, hoping that more of his wounds would heal.

"Thank heaven..." Felix muttered thankfully. He took Isaac's dislocated arm and pushed it lightly back into place. The bones moved visibly under his skin, and attached themselves in the correct places.

Mia's eyes brimmed over with tears again. She continued singing, afraid of what might happen if she stopped. The clear streams of water flowed faster as she sang, and her throat felt dry as she forced herself to sing on. Isaac was definitely healing. The blood stains on him made him look dead, but Mia knew better.

Then a cry rang out.

"Nobody move!"

Felix looked around sharply. Garet and Jenna had both stopped, and were staring around in confusion. The giraffe charged at them on its half broken legs, and a gunshot pierced the air as it moved. The giraffe collapsed and moved no more.

"Run!" Garet gasped. If there was one thing Kraden had never taught them, it was how to defend against bullets. Jenna raced towards Isaac, ignoring her tired and bruised legs. Felix summoned his last bit of strength to carry Isaac onto her back, supporting half the weight with his own arms. Garet picked up the still singing Mia, and they fled.

Footsteps seemed to follow them, and Felix motioned for them to keep to the shadows. His body felt numb, and he had no idea how long he could hold out.

"If I fall, you guys must continue without me," he muttered. "Don't object. Keep silent."

They moved as swiftly and as quietly as possible, and soon reached a relatively large cave in the ground. Felix brushed aside the ivy hiding the entrance, and uncovered a frightened family of hares.

"We'll hide in here for now. Don't..." Another shot was heard. Felix collapsed onto the ground. Jenna dropped Isaac and nudged her brother with her muzzle. But the centaur did not move.

"No... not Felix..." Garet whispered in dismay. Jenna laid her head on Felix's, crying silently.

Light from strong torches blinked brightly at them, and soon Jenna had fallen into a heap as well.

"Jenna!" Garet cried. "DAMMIT! YOU MURDERERS!" His voice did nothing but reveal their location. The next to fall was him. 

_Everyone! _Mia looked up wildly. Her heart went cold. Everyone had been shot... Despair began to grab at her. Isaac was still alive! She had to save him! Gripping him tightly, she thrust her tail into the cave heavily, and tumbled in. Isaac landed with a thump beside her as the hares scattered.

The footsteps and torchlights were getting nearer every second.

She sang softly, hoping that the assaulters would not find her.

_Save Isaac. _Mia's mind was still blank about what had happened to the others. There was only one thought left in her numb head. _Save Isaac._

Voices were heard, and she gripped Isaac tightly. Then a torch shone down on her and the dragon. A shout of surprise was heard.

"Some more here! A freaking dragon and a mermaid!"

A large black gun was pushed into the cave. 

Mia sang on, before a sharp pain pierced her shoulder, and she felt nothing else...

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

_Where am I...?_

Am I... dead...?

Is this heaven...?

It was all white. The surroundings were pure white, with nothing else.

_It's the end... I died..._

Death is so painful...

He still felt sore and bruised all over. His mind was swimming with darkness and pain, and his body ached. Looking at so much white hurt his eyes, and he closed them.

_What's going to happen now..._

Am I going to stay in heaven...?

Will it hurt forever?

It hurt to think. A major headache started to develop, and he groaned inwardly.

Then he felt a soft touch on his hand. It was warm, comforting and caring. He turned his palm over and held the other hand in his own.

Isaac opened his eyes.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

See how long it would've been if I just kept it in one chapter?

Sheba: You split the chapter into three, so you can't call it half. Three halfs do not make one.

Gimme a break. I'm writing this with a fever, you know.

Sheba: No excuse. Dancers perform on stage even when their fathers are dying.

That's a different thing. My head feels woozy...

Sheba: I have no sympathy for you. You could have written more, but for the sake of a cliffhanger you stopped. I'm right, aren't I?

How come this time the writer isn't the all powerful one, and is instead threatened by her own characters...?

Daidairo

Obviously, this isn't lighthearted. Not at all.

Until I feel better.


	21. Explanations By a Few

Creature Changers

Sorry for the VERY late update... As said in my previous Lighthouseshipping oneshot, I have been away at in Olomouc, Prague, competing with my school choir. I promised to write on the trip, but... let's just say many many things cooped up.

Garet: Liar. You were just too lazy.

Hey! That's not true! No one can prove that! ...Anyway... though we performed not to our best... the result was...

GOLD!

Disclaimer: GOOOOOOLD!

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 21: Explanations By a Few

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Tearfilled blue eyes looked back at him intently. Isaac blinked slowly, before he registered the face into his mind.

"M-Mia?"

The mermaid smiled, and the song stopped.

"How are you feeling?"

"Sore," Isaac admitted. Mia's healing had done a bit of good, and at least the headache was nearly gone. Mia continued her song, and Isaac laid back, closing his eyes.

He felt extremely comfortable, and her voice soothed his wounds gently, both physically and emotionally. It was like a lullaby, telling him it was safe to rest. For a long while, all was quiet except for Mia's voice, and minutes ticked by.

Then his eyes opened.

"Wait, stop!" Isaac pulled his hand away. "You can't spend your energy healing me! You'll tire yourself out again!"

He was already feeling much better. The sore aches had gone, and all was left was a bit of stiffness around his joints. Mia's healing powers seemed to have improved. Exactly how much energy had Mia put in?

"Don't worry about me," Mia said quickly, seeing his worried look. "I'll be fine. Nothing a bit of rest can't-"

"Do not sing again. I'm fine already," Isaac said. "Anything else left on me can recover on its own."

"But-" Wonderful. He was worried about her using too much energy, and she was worried about his injuries. Joy.

"No buts. If you tire yourself unconscious, I'll be accused of assault," Isaac joked. To his surprise, Mia's face fell.

"You already are accused of assault," she said quietly. Looking backwards, Mia motioned to a sleeping man dressed in the blue uniform of the Crystalia police. He was slouching on a chair snoring away. Only then did Isaac look around him, and realise that 'heaven' was nothing but a white hospital room, where several other beds held lumps of people on them.

Where a policeman was placed to guard him.

"Mia... what happened? Why are you here? Why am _I_ here?" Isaac demanded, sitting up. The bandages that were bound around his previously swollen arms fell away.

"You were knocked out by those changers last night. I met with Jenna, Felix and Garet, and we managed to defeat them. But you didn't wake... we were all worried that you would die..." Mia bit her lip. "I tried to heal you, but it seemed as if you weren't recovering..."

No wonder he felt sore. If he nearly died, and yet now felt fine, Mia must have spent much of her energy healing him. Isaac felt pangs of guilt strike him. "And then...?"

"Just as you began recovering, a group of people began to shoot at us. I thought we were all doomed for, and everyone was shot once..."

"Shot!"

"I woke up this morning, and listened to the conversation of several nurses. Apparently, those were tranquilisers to knock us out," Mia said. "The rangers thought we were dangerous, and knocked everyone out before they brought us all here, and placed us under watches."

"So... Garet, Jenna and Felix are here too?"

Mia pointed to three sleeping changers opposite them. "I sang to Felix a little just now. He should be all right."

"Jenna and Garet?"

"They weren't hurt much in the first place."

Isaac turned to stare at the policeman. "And him?"

"He was already tired, so I sang him to sleep," Mia giggled slightly. "And I did it before I changed."

"Mia, promise me that in the future, you will not sing unless you really have to," Isaac said. "The truth is, all of us probably need you to keep us from dying, but even so, you must not exert yourself. Look after yourself, all right? Heal us enough to make sure we'll survive, and leave the rest."

"... I promise..." Mia replied with a sigh. "I just don't like to see any of you hurt."

"Just as we don't like to see you tired," Isaac countered with a grin. 

"I can't believe you're still looking out for her."

Both changers turned in surprise. Jenna sat up on her white bed.

"Isaac, do you know what she did last night?"

"Huh?"

"You nearly died last night, Isaac. And she refused to heal you!" Jenna's eyes flashed angrily at Mia.

"Hey!" A loud, unfamiliar voice boomed out.

All three changers froze as a gun was readied. They turned to look at the guard. He stood awake in front of his chair.

"All of you, go back to your beds and lie down," he ordered. His eyes glanced at Mia. "You, change back."

Silently, the changers obeyed. None of them wanted each other to be shot. Even with a tranquiliser.

"You will not change. You will lie quietly on your beds until further instructions are given. Am I clear?"

"I'm afraid not, sir!" The door was pushed open, and Dr. Martin entered. "I'm afraid I need to take several patients out for a checkup.

"We have orders to keep these changers under our watch," the policeman protested. Dr. Martin turned to him, and Isaac could see his knees shaking. But his voice rang out confidently and loudly.

"And when they're dead, will they be under your watch? I need to treat them right away!"Grumbling, the policeman nodded. Two nurses pulled Jenna onto a stretcher, despite her struggles. Three carried Felix onto another. Five nurses and the doctor exited. A huge sigh exploded when the doors closed.

Isaac smiled gratefully. Dr. Martin had even stood up to a policeman to help them. What an achievement.

He rolled to a side, glancing at Mia. She stared back at him.

"I did want to heal you," she whispered. "I did..."

"I know you did." Truth be told, Isaac couldn't understand Jenna's words. Mia _had _healed him, hadn't she?

"Jenna meant the immortality."

The _what?  
_  
"When you didn't respond to my song, Jenna asked me to give you my immortality so that you would live," Mia whispered quickly. "I refused, but not because I was selfish! I have my reasons!"

Isaac didn't know what to make of it. Never in his life had he come across a situation where someone refused to give him long life.

"Er..."

"Do you remember the day when I ran out of the library?" Mia shivered under her blanket. "That's when I read in a book... about a mermaid. She fell in love with a mortal. But the man died. The mermaid had to bear with the pain of losing him, and her children, for they were not immortal like her. Slowly, year by year, she had to watch them leave her, as well as all her mortal friends."

There was silence again.

"The pain of losing everyone... watching everyone you care for leave... being left alone... Even the thought of it scares me..." Mia wiped a tear from her cheek. "If I had given you my immortality, you would have been saddled with that fate... I don't want you to experience that pain for the rest of your life!"

To be alone forever...

To watch everyone you care for disappear, one by one...

Through the many years, maybe new friends could be made... but they would leave one day, and the feeling would return once more...

"I understand. And I thank you." Having heard what Mia had described, Isaac felt really grateful that he didn't have to live forever. The thought of Mia possibly going through all that in the future made his heart contort with sympathy and anxiety. "I... don't know what else to say, but... I know you truly wanted to help me. And that's all that matters."

Mia smiled slightly. "But Jenna..."

"Jenna didn't understand; she was just worried about me. I'm sure if you explained everything to her, she'd understand," Isaac replied. "She's not an unreasonable girl, really."

"Quiet over there!"

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Isaac was bored to the marrow of his bones. He had been lying on his bed in the same position for the past many hours; if his body wasn't already stiff, it would have been from not moving a muscle for a long period of time. Looking to his right, he noticed the guard dozing off on his chair.

Apparently Mr. Watch was bored too.

Mia had fallen asleep, and Isaac didn't blame her. That much healing to a person who was, apparently, half dead...

The room was totally silent. Even the drop of a pin would have been heard.

Except no pin dropped. Only a door opened, creaking softly. Isaac looked up as a blue haired person peered intently at the guard, then turned around and showed his face.

"Piers!"

Two voices had rung out. Two changers sat up. Isaac stared across at Garet, who stared back.

"Well, heya, both of you," Piers greeted. "You'd better lower your volume unless you want this one to wake up too."

"You were awake?" Isaac asked quietly.

"Just woke up," Garet said. "Piers, whaddaya doing here?"

"Visiting you. Is that a crime?" Piers asked, raising an eyebrow.

"But... how did you know about what happened?" Isaac asked.

"I was attracted by the Changertract potion too," Piers replied. "The only difference is that I didn't get caught. I beat up a dugong-"

"A what?" Garet interrupted. Piers ignored him.

"And didn't meet anyone else. I wandered around until the rangers showed up, and then I hid, so they didn't find me. I followed the ambulance here."

"The rangers of that forest were the ones who shot us with tranquilisers, right?" Isaac questioned.

"We were shot with tranquilisers?" Garet asked.

"Yeah. The paramedics came to take over, and they had to comb the forest for other injured changers," Piers again ignored Garet.

So did Isaac "Others?"

"About thirty or so changers were found in the forest, injured," Piers replied. Isaac gasped. 

"Thirty?"

"Apparently the potion can attract a lot of people," Garet commented. "What's a dugong?"

"Just about everyone was injured. They also brought in the dugong I attacked, but I was probably the only one not caught. What happened to you guys?" Piers asked. "I nearly cried out when I saw you and Felix bleeding nonstop, Isaac."

"Actually..."

"What's a DUGONG!"

"Snorfasgottamah..."

There was silence. The three boys stared at the guard, who was rubbing his middle. His eyelids fluttered.

"Darn it! I can't be caught now! Listen, I'll be back later," Piers muttered. Quickly, he ran to the window and leaped out. Alarmed, Isaac ran after him. His eyes followed the elder changer as he leaped down, landing neatly on the roofs of balconies and porches below them. Surefooted, Piers ended up safely on the ground and ran off into a bush.

Great acrobat.

"Garet, what creature is Piers?"

"Two of you, into bed! NOW!"

The guard was awake. Grumbling inwardly, Isaac returned to his bed.

This was going to be a long day.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The next day was pretty much the same, until the afternoon, when checkups were ran on them. Isaac got his body probed and knocked and scanned by different doctors, nurses and scientists until he felt like a guinea pig.

"Well... the progress made is impossible, but... since there are still several unhealed cuts and the like, we'll ask you to stay for a while," Dr. Ferdinand announced. "And no complaints; I'm not the one who wants to keep you here."

He nodded to the policeman, who nodded back. 

"All three of you will follow me," he said. "Put your hands up, and walk in front of me in a straight row."

Isaac, Garet and Mia stood up and obeyed. The man ushered them out of the door and down a long corridor, his tranquiliser gun poking Garet in the back every now and then, much to his annoyance. The four moved on until they reached the conference room of the hospital, labelled in big letters with a signboard. The same signboard had a time period and 'Do Not Disturb' written on it. Two policemen dressed in the same stiff blue uniform opened the doors, and the three changers were pushed inside.

The large conference room was decorated with red drapes, and the small stage had several dark blue chairs on it. Green chairs were arranged neatly in rows before the stage, and some of these were filled with unfamiliar faces. Jenna and Felix were sitting quietly side by side in the second row, whispering to each other. Around the perimeter of the room, tranquiliser shooters stood in position, each wearing dark shades that were no doubt equipped with scanners.

"Sit down and keep quiet," the policeman behind them ordered. Trying not to attract any attention, the three changers sat down in the last row. As Isaac scanned through the room with his eyes, there were about thirty two chairs filled.

Were these the changers that had been fighting in the forest the previous night?

None of them moved, none of them spoke. Some were as young as seven or eight; those were trembling in fear. Some were as old as forty plus; they were trembling too.

"Everyone has been gathered, sir!" one of the Tranqui-Shooters mumbled into his walkie-talkie. "Will you come down now?"

Feedback blared out.

"Understood. Open the doors!" the policeman yelled. The doors were pulled open at once. A group of blue men marched in, assembling quickly on the small stage. Forming a square, they turned to face the changers. Then one of them stepped out.

Isaac's eye twitched.

_No... it can't be... not him..._

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Yes... this was certainly a short chapter... because on Saturday, I'm heading out of town again... this time to Malaysia, to watch fireflies!

But not to worry, since this has been short, I'll update again once I return! This time I promise to write on the trip!

Sheba: mutters You had BETTER.

Until next time! The fireflies are waiting!

Daidairo


	22. The Princesses of Tennis

Creature Changers

All right, all right. I didn't write while in Malaysia.

And I didn't write when I came back either. Because it turned out that I thought I had one more week of holidays... when I hadn't... So there was a crazy rush of homework.

The first week of school has finally passed, and the heavy rush of getting used to waking up early/doing homework/getting bored etc has mostly passed... so here I am, writing when I'm supposed to be practicing for Oral Exam.

Disclaimer: Daidairo does not own Golden Sun. She does not own this document either, for everything that is done on the school's computer belongs to the school. Hence the school is the one who claims the Golden Sun. Please go right ahead and sue them. Make the authoress' life easier.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 22: The Princesses of Tennis

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

But it was. Mr Iaka gazed down impassively at the changers. His dark eyes glittered dangerously.

"So!" his voice was as booming and ugly as ever. "There had been a great disturbance last night, in which all of you were involved."

Many of the changers present, especially the younger ones, fidgeted uncomfortably at the policeman's tone.

"If anyone wishes to explain what was going on, you will raise your hand," he continued.

Each eager to clear their own names, two dozen or so hands shot into the air, waving desperately for a chance to speak. Mr Iaka pointed at a respectable looking man with a broken leg.

"Last night, there was a smell that induced my body to go out. All of a sudden I changed, then a horse attacked me! I got beaten up, and when I woke up I was here. I did nothing wrong at all, officer! I'm a victim!"

One by one, many victims explained their case. A group of nine changers that sat together at the side said nothing, glowering at every changer that spoke. A few of them had countless casts or were heavily bandaged. It wasn't long before Mr Iaka had his eye on them.

"And you?" he asked, pointing at one young man. Isaac eyed him, then noticed that he bore a strong resemblance to Brett Marshall.

"I... er... the same as the others. I was- uh, attacked..." he stammered.

"Tell the TRUTH!" Mr Iaka roared suddenly. A stream of information flowed out from the youth's mouth at once.

"We are the Combative Changers, and we were trying to defeat the other changers and gain their abilities! I brewed the MaxC-tract potion, an evolved concoction of the Changertract potion, and attracted the changers within a certain distance of the forest!" he gabbled.

"Bernard Marshall, you idiot!" several cried of protests came from the group with him. He flinched. Isaac noticed with a lurch that all of these 'Combative Changers' were youngsters.

Young, but dangerous. Dangerous, just like the cyclops had been...

Mr Iaka glanced at another policeman standing nearby with a black device. The brown haired man nodded. Mr Iaka then turned back to the changers.

"We have a confession. Will the other culprits who caused last night's trouble stand up."

A messy shuffle broke out, where the changers began whispering among themselves.

"IMMEDIATELY!"

Everyone jumped. A few changers had leapt to their feet, shocked by the sudden shout more than anything else. The ones who couldn't stand nearly fell, and raised a hand instead.

"Is that all, boy?" Mr Iaka barked. The gorilla changer nodded vigorously. Half the team of policemen grabbed the nine offenders and escorted them out of the room with cries of 'silence!' to their protests.

When the doors had closed behind them and the room was quiet again, Mr Iaka stared down at the rest of the changers. The fact that Isaac, Jenna, Felix, Garet, Mia and one or two others had not testified yet seemed to have slipped his mind for the time being.

"Some of our men have reported seeing creatures that do not exist in this world. The changers will stand now," he said.

_What now? _Isaac wondered as he got to his feet slowly.

Mr Iaka stared at the standing changers and raised an eyebrow.

"I seem to have seen all of you before. State your name and your creature, one by one."

"Jenna Venus, flame panther."

"Felix Venus, centaur."

"Garet Mars, sphinx."

"Mia Cascade, mermaid."

"Isaac Gaia, dragon."

All the utterations were greeted by gasps from the other changers. Loud whispers could be heard as the mythicals became the center of conversation in the room. Goggle eyed, the changers kept asking each other if mythicals really existed.

"Silence!" Mr Iaka ordered sharply. He glanced at another girl who had not spoken. "And YOU?"

"I-I-I'm a cat, sir!" she squeaked. "Just a plain, normal cat, sir!"

Just then, feedback blared out from several walkie talkies. Mr Iaka tugged his out of his back pocket and raised it to his ear. Then he nodded curtly and humphed. As everyone watched, he muttered something. Then the doors opened, and two policemen escorted three changers in.

Three changers familiar to the mythicals. Isaac stopped himself from calling out. Garet didn't.

"Kraden! Ivan! Sheba!"

"Silence!" Mr Iaka yelled as all three newcomers shot Garet a warning look. He turned to Kraden. "You say you can explain these monsters?"

Felix clamped a hand over Jenna's mouth. At the exact same time, Isaac did the same to Garet. They caught each other's eyes and grinned sheepishly. Both had expected hot tempers to blow at the insult.

"They're not monsters. These children are but changers like all the other changers here. The only difference between them is the creatures, as these few have mythical creatures as their changeo," Kraden explained.

"Changeo?" Isaac removed his hand from Garet's mouth.

"The creaure or changed form of a changer," Garet explained.

"Just tell me. Are they dangerous or not?" Mr Iaka demanded. His mouth twitched unpleasantly.

"No, sir. They can control their powers and are sensible kids who won't hurt anyone," Kraden said calmly with admirable patience.

"We of the Police Force will look into that. Before any of you leave the hospital, give your names, addresses and creatures to Derek. He will be in the lobby." A blond beside the door raised his hand to Mr Iaka's curt sentence. The fat policeman nodded at Derek.

His chest puffed up with importance, Mr Iaka strode down the aisle between the rows of chairs. The rest of the policemen, looking impressive with all their blue uniforms pulled straight, marched after him proudly.

Isaac watched as Ivan slipped his hand into one pocket and held up a small ball. Slyly, he shot it with precise aim and timing until it rolled under Mr Iaka's lifted foot.

The policeman slipped, and he tumbled onto the ground with a smack. The rest behind him tripped over him and banged into each other, stumbling around like a group of uncoordinated marching elephants.

"_Yes! _Too bad about your cool exit!" Ivan muttered with a grin. Isaac made a choking sound and held his face straight as the embarrassed team of policemen made their way out, utterly humiliated.

The door closed. Then the room burst into laughter. Everyone chuckled away at the thought of the ball of policemen who had tried to lord over them embarrassing themselves with a silly fall in the end.

"Ivan, you're a genius!" Jenna exclaimed, giggling.

"I'm glad you're all merry, everyone, but the worst isn't over yet," Kraden reminded them sternly. As the mythicals gathered around him, Isaac noticed that his eyes were dancing.

"I've roughly heard about what happened. Are all of you all right? No serious injuries?" Kraden asked anxiously. The changers looked at each other.

"There were some major injuries at first, but Mia healed them," Felix admitted. He glanced briefly at the bandages around him and one cast on his leg. Only Mia, Ivan and Sheba were injury free.

"Piers came to see us yesterday," Garet said suddenly. "He's not here?"

"Yes, Piers was the one who informed us about what had happened. He hadn't taken any damage, of course... We were unsure of the truth behind everything though," Kraden said.

"Are we allowed to go home?" Jenna asked.

"That lies with the doctors. I think Felix might be asked to stay," Kraden rubbed his chin. "Don't worry, if it's about the homework, your teachers have been told to be lenient. You're not the only students from Crystal School to be affected, after all."

"Hey!"

A shout came froma youth with a mohawk hairstyle. It contrasted sharply with the hospital gown he was wearing. Seemingly unbothered, he waved at the mythicals.

"Are you dudes really mythical creatures?"

It was only then that Isaac noticed everyone in the room _still _staring at them. Feeling rather embarrassed himself, he remained quiet and left Kraden to do the explaining. Before Kraden could utter a single word, Brigitta burst into the conference hall with Malcolm and eight other nurses.

"All of you will retire to your respective rooms to rest until further notice," she announced. "Come."

The nurses helped the temporarily physcially disabled to move out of their chairs onto wheelchairs or handed crutches over. The rest followed Brigitta out. Kraden, Ivan and Sheba nodded sympathetically at them.

"Darn it. I want to go home," Jenna muttered unhappily, shuffling her feet as she walked after Brigitta. Garet patted her on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, you're not terribly hurt. I'm sure you'll be allowed to leave the hospital."

"I woke up feeling fine on Tuesday! But they kept me here until now!" Jenna complained.

"Well, maybe they wanted to have everyone awake before a conference like today's," Isaac said. Several changers had left the crowd and entered their rooms. "Since that's done, we should be free to go if we're unhurt."

"But Felix..." Jenna turned and trailed off. "Where's Felix?"

Her brother was nowhere in sight.

"Mia's disappeared too," Isaac said suddenly. Jenna glowered, clenching her fists.

"Ohhh... if anything happens, I'm gonna..."

"Jenna!"

Out of an adjoining corridor, Felix ran towards them, looking hale as he pulled bandages off him. "Let's go home."

Behind him came a tired but triumphant looking Mia, pushing her hair out of her eyes. Isaac immediately guessed that Felix had asked her to heal him so that he would be able to take Jenna home.

It worked. This time, none of the nurses or doctors questioned their recovery abilities, and all the mythicals were allowed to leave.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"It was unbelievable, not letting us see you!" Dora exclaimed, putting a jug of fresh milk on the table. "Kyle and I were so worried when we realised that you had disappeared!"

"I'm sorry I got you worried, Mom," Isaac said humbly. Kyle ruffled his hair affectionately, a smile touching his lips.

"As long as you're all right, son, nothing else matters," he said. Isaac remembered the 'half dead' bit of his story that was omitted in the telling to Kyle and Dora, and shifted guiltily in his chair. 

_It's best if they don't know, really... though I feel awfully bad about hiding the truth...  
_  
"But it's really amazing, about you changers and all," Kyle shook his head in wonder as he sat down at the table. "If doctors could harness the power of that Mia Cascade, people all over the world wouldn't be suffering. She can even be considered a goddess."

"I'm just glad that she helped to save you, Isaac. One day, you must bring her home for lunch or dinner," Dora called over her shoulder as she poured out fresh milk from a carton into a large jug.

Another omelette landed in front of Isaac.

"Eat up, dear. They can't have fed you well at that hospital!"

Glad to use food as an excuse not to talk, Isaac dug in. Truthfully, he hadn't known what exactly he should say about the incident. He still felt a little sore, and at least the culprits had been arrested.

It didn't feel like near death at all.

So that was the end of it. Tomorrow, life would continue as usual.

Cutting off a piece of omelette, Isaac held it out to Flint, and Ground swallowed the mouthful instantly.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Look, he's one of them."

"The ones that fought on Monday?"

"I heard Charles say that this Gaia's got a mythical creature!"

Aware of the whispers he was attracting, Isaac kept his head down as he walked to the assembly area. He was painfully reminded of a scene from last year. Fingers were pointed, gossip and rumours were spread. His old schoolmates had said he was different from them; a changer. This time, the changers said he was different from them; a mythical.

Isaac walked over to the class 9A and stood in line behind Joash. The boy leaned backwards and placed the back of his head on Isaac's shoulder, so that his face was inches away from Isaac's. Startled, Isaac turned slightly and stared at him.

"Is it true that you were involved in the big fight? And for that reason you were absent for nearly the whole week?" Joash whispered softly.

"Um, yeah..." No one told Isaac to keep it quiet anyway.

"Cool..." Joash murmured, his eyes bright. Raising his head and standing up straight, he looked around innocently as two prefects walked by with identical suspicous looks on their faces. Hurrying past Joash and Isaac, they muttered what sounded like 'gay guys', looking back occasionally at the line of 9A.

"Are we supposed to laugh of cry, sweetheart?" Joash asked with a snicker.

Isaac shook his head and grinned reluctantly.

"Chairmen, please begin to take attendance for your class," Kraden said through a microphone. From what Isaac could see of him, he looked extremely tired, and there were dark eyebags beneath his usually alert eyes. "As mentioned earlier this week, due to unforseen circumstances, many teachers have been away and clubs were stopped. This is a reminder that clubs will begin again only next week."

Isaac breathed a sigh of relief. He thought that he had missed the basketball practice that was supposed to be held the previous day.

"Also, because many of our teachers are still busy, Changing lessons will continue to be suspended until further notice. Please consider Changing lessons as free periods to work on your other school work."

It made sense. Kraden would definitely be busy trying to sort out everything that had happened.

"Isaac Gaia, present. Where were you the past few days?" Rachel asked, her pen poised above the clipboard with the class attendance list.

"Er... In hospital," Isaac replied. Rachel raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. She continued down the line.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

PE and English passed quickly, with the teachers beginning to harp on tiny details that Isaac had already learned. Most of the time, he was explaning roughly what had happened to his curious classmates, and proving certain rumours false. Garet was bombarded with questions as well, and unlike Isaac, he described in detail his fight with the tiger, and how effective his attacks had been. By recess, everyone in the class had discovered that Isaac and Garet were mythicals.

Felix, Piers and Jenna were already in the canteen when Garet and Isaac went down, escorted by a crowd of younger students who had seen them and were eager to hear the tale. Garet collected food for both of them, and they sat down beside the other mythicals.

A glare from Felix sent the eighth graders scuttling off. But it didn't stop the gossip around them.

"I can't believe she did that."

"That's so evil... So unkind! The poor boy!"

"He's that one, see, the spiky blond! He's a new guy, too, and yet he's treated like this..."

"They said that mermaids have always been evil; looks like it's true..."

"Fancy her refusing to use her immortality to save a life!"

Isaac winced sharply and put down his sandwich. That part of the story had spread all over the school somehow; people thrived on unhappy and untrue information more than on cheerful and truthful ones. Everyone was discussing just how inconsiderate and selfish Mia was, and that "We're on Jenna's side!". Isaac had been quick to reassure his classmates that it wasn't true, but there was no way he could convince a whole school that Mia was actually trying to save him from a terrible fate. After all, there were a few who delighted in making Mia appear small and mean, and would disbelieve truth readily without a care.

Jenna did not seem to be listening to the soft but audible whispers around; she was arguing loudly with Garet about fries and potato wedges. Each time Isaac tried to cut in, both Garet and Jenna would silence him with a 'shut up!' and continue talking. Piers and Felix looked just as uncomfortable, the former having heard about the immortality issue from Felix.

"I'm sure Mia didn't mean it like that," Piers muttered.

"She already explained it to me, but Jenna's hasn't closed her mouth so I haven't got a chance to explain!" Isaac whispered back, glancing at Jenna. She dug the handle of a spoon into Garet's cheek.

"She just jumps to conclusions easily. I'll talk to her tonight..." Felix trailed off as the entire canteen quietened down. Uneasy, unusual and an unnatural silence filled the canteen for the first time in history as all the students looked up.

Mia had entered the canteen and was looking uncertainly about her. She shifted her books from one arm to another as she felt all eyes upon her.

Isaac felt Jenna shoot to her feet beside him, having finally stopped debating with Garet. She raised her arm.

And waved.

"Mia! Over here!"

The silence felt frozen. Everyone was stunned into shock as Mia smiled and walked over to her. The two girls greeted each other and sat down.

Garet found his tongue first. "What on earth...?"

"What on earth what?" Jenna asked. Garet saw an evil glint in her eye that seemed to be daring him to talk.

"Err..."

Slowly, the hum of chatter resumed its place. Many changers were staring at Jenna and Mia is complete astonishment.

"You know... I can't help feeling that something is going wrong..." Piers muttered to the other guys. He saw smiles on Jenna's and Mia's faces. Evil smiles.

"So you'd be free this afternoon?" Mia was saying.

"I'd expected them to be at each other's throats," Felix breathed disbelievingly. "Mia must have had many attacks from people who believed Jenna, and should be feeling extremely pissed off!" All four guys watched the girls wordlessly, as if they were time bombs due to explode any minute.

"Well, you did say you play, so let's meet at Soranea's Tennis Club at 2 o'clock," Jenna was saying.  
_  
Wait... WHAT!_

"They're going to play _tennis_!" Isaac demanded incredulously.

"It must be a farce!" Garet said instantly. "They're aching to murder each other, but they can't, so they're going to challenge each other at tennis instead!"

It seemed as if he was right. The girls faces were partially hidden by their hair, and their eyes gleamed dangerously. Looking fearful, the guys retreated and sidled several feet down the bench away from them.

"What if they injure themselves and each other?" Piers asked anxiously.

"We'll go too," Felix announced loudly. The girls looked at them.

"The more the merrier!" Jenna said, smiling. The boys gasped.

"That... smile..." They winced sharply.

"The evil grin..." Felix muttered.

"She means, it'd be better to have more people watch her beat up Mia..." Garet gulped. "Girls... are scary when they're mad..."

The boys watched them, and each saw fire building up around Mia and Jenna.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"I see," Miss Malvonite clasped her fingers together gravely. Her green eyes narrowed. "How did both of you recover from your injuries so quickly?"

Behind them, the class was chattering loudly, not caring tuppence that Isaac and Garet had been called up for a talk with Miss Malvonite during class contact.

"Mia Cascade of 8A healed us," Isaac said truthfully. "Kra- Master Kraden knows about it."

"Master Kraden... All right, I'll talk to him. Is that all?" Both Garet and Isaac nodded. "Go for your next lesson then. Stay out of trouble, or I shall have to waste another period of class contact listening to you."

Bowing obediently, Isaac and Garet grabbed their bags.

"It's free period until dismissal!" Dave said brightly, following them out of the classroom. "Reckon we can go home early?"

"You're the chairman!" Garet said in mock horror. "How can you suggest something like that?"

Dave grinned and punched his shoulder, then ran off.

"But he's right, you know," Garet observed thoughtfully. "We might as well leave. Where are you going to now? We've still got two hours or so before we have to stop Jenna and Mia from killing each other and everyone else around them."

"I think I'll visit the library," Isaac said, opening his locker and taking out a writing pad.

"Aw, not going to visit Kraden?" 

Isaac's locker door slammed into Garet before it closed with a click.

This time, Isaac searched the whole library from shelf to shelf. The time flew past as the books flew by his eyes, and when an hour was up Isaac was dizzy from scanning through so many book spines.

"No Thor and no Megaera," he sighed. _Could Ivan have been mistaken? Did those immortals really exist?_

Maybe Megaera's book was just something else that Sepians Unus did not want him to see, and Thor's book didn't exist.

Or were those thoughts merely to comfort himself? 

Isaac exited the library with a sigh. He went to meet the other mythicals.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Soranea's Tennis Club was an average sized but posh place. The hard and soft courts were clean and surrounded by lavish tables, chairs and umbrellas. It was pretty new, and the staff worked hard everyday to improve the reputation of their work area.

A collection of excellent rackets, balls and clothes were displayed for choosing, and the guys each picked up one racket with a sense of foreboding. Piers paid the rent for the rackets, balls, clothes and court without a word, and they proceeded to a small court at the end. Changing cubicles took up a corner of the fenced in court, and the changers changed their clothes quickly. All the males wore a simple shirt, sweatpants and sports shoes, with the exception of Felix and a headband, and Isaac with a shot red scarf. The females donned white shirts and shorts to match.

"That's nerve wrecking too," Garet gulped. "If they wear safe shorts instead of tennis skirts that are revealing during vigorous sports, that just means that they're going to get serious running about on the court! I'm seriously getting worried!"

"Don't be ridiculous! What they wear doesn't make a difference!" Piers said crossly. But he looked nervous too.

"We have to put the girls on the same team so that they won't have a chance to whack the balls at each other," Felix whispered.

"Jenna, Mia! Felix and I will take the two of you on first!" Garet called. The girls smiled, and the boys twitched.

Isaac and Piers sat down beneath an umbrella to watch, as the game began. The ball flew from one court to another as a line of flash. Isaac and Piers turned their heads each the the ball changed direction, so they were turning their heads from side to side swiftly, trying to follow them ball.

Of course, it wasn't long before they got dizzy.

It was long before Garet and Felix got tired.

"You two are a bunch of amazons," Garet grumbled. "Do you play tennis real often or something?"

"It's just that you two are weak!" Jenna said, shaking her finger.

"And you forget, the two of you are still sore from your injuries. I've fully recovered, as usual, and Jenna's fine too," Mia said.

The boys stared at her fearfully, and heard the silent sentence that Mia didn't add.

_"So I'm going to make sure she's no longer fine."_

"I need a break. Isaac, Piers, take over. We still have about two hours before our time's up. Make sure you two win!" Felix said. His eyes added, "And make sure they get so tired they can't do anything to each other."

So Felix and Garet removed themselves from the court and went to buy drinks for everyone.

"Still up to playing?" Jenna asked. Garet translated the actual meaning to Isaac.

"Still think you can keep up with me? Give up already!" Isaac shuddered and clutched his racket.

"Of course! I'm not going to give up a chance to beat the boys!" Mia smiled across at them. Isaac smiled back uncertainly. _Was that to put them off their guard...?_

"Meaning, she won't give up," Garet muttered. "Watch out!"

Jenna released the ball and bounced it onto the ground. As it rebounded up, she pulled her arm back and swung her racket with all her might.

The ball flew.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

When Garet and Felix returned, they were greeted with a horrifying sight. Both Isaac and Piers were collapsed on the ground near the tables, panting hard and staring fearfully at the court. Jenna and Mia were on opposite sides of the court, swinging their rackets as hard as they could.

At TWO balls at exactly the same time.

The balls flew back and forth, becoming blurred as the girls increased the speed of their actions. Felix demanded why they were playing against each other, but his voice was drowned out by the thudding of balls on the ground, and the battle cries of the girls.

"Too... tired... they're amazing..." Piers panted. "Or maybe it's because they were probably the only ones to eat lunch... the rest of us were panicking..."

"We have to stop them!" Garet cried. "Before someone dies!"

"Tried! They wouldn't listen!" Isaac gasped.

"Jenna! Stop it!" Felix shouted. Jenna continued hitting one ball after another. Garet took in a deep breath.

"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!"

Both girls swung their rackets one last time as the cry rang out, and froze. Two balls flew as the girls turned to look in surprise at their spectators. The balls flew over the nets. They continued soaring.

At the exact same time, each swift, hard ball hit Mia and Jenna squarely on the heads. They collapsed, and bleeding bruises began to form on their heads.

"OH MY GOD! This is what I was afraid of!" Piers yelled.

"It looks superficial, but if it's the head there might be trouble!" Felix ran towards his sister and ripped off his headband, covering the bruise on Jenna's head in an attempt to still the bloodflow. Isaac undid his scarf and did the same to Mia. As Garet and Piers snatched up their belongings, Isaac and Felix lifted the half-unconscious girls onto their backs and ran for the First Aid Room.

Flying past the courts, they reached the receptionist desk where the manager was speaking to a family of potential customers.

"Yes, we know you will provide us with entertainment, but what about safety precautions?" the father was asking.

"Of course that's important as well!" The manager agreed. "Safety is one of our main concerns, and we make sure that none of our customers ever suffer injuries of any..."

"ARGHHHHH THE FIRST AID ROOM!" Garet yelled. "Over there! Turn left!"

"HOLD ON! JENNA! Don't faint on me!" Felix cried. The mythicals raced past the desk and turned, leaving several droplets of blood on the floor.

The family blinked. They stared at the blood. They stared after the running changers. They stared at the courts.

"No thanks."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"That's what you guys thought?" Jenna said grumpily as Felix wound a bandage around her head. "If you guys hadn't misunderstood, you wouldn't have yelled, and we wouldn't be bleeding."

"We're really sorry," Isaac apologised, holding Mia's bandage down with tape. He pressed it gently to keep it in place. "We thought the two of you would be so mad at each other that..."

"I_ was _mad," Jenna admitted. "But this morning, Mia explained everything to me. I understand why she didn't want to give over her immortality now, and though I would've acted differently myself, I'm not angry anymore. I just jumped to conclusions again, that's all."

"But this time, you weren't the only one who jumped to conclusions easily," Mia said, giggling. Jenna grinned.

"You guys really have wild imaginations!"

The boys felt extremely silly. The girls laughed again.

Just as they were feeling even sillier, the door burst open.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

This time there isn't even a cliffhanger, but there you go! A nice long chapter to make up for the short previous one!

I have VERY bad news. My father has just banned me from the computer, my Gamecube, and my DS. I don't know how I shall survive... Currently, I'm typing on my brother's laptop, and I might hopefully be able to use it once in a while... Therefore, it might be sometime before I can come back with the next chapter. I'll try my very best, though.

As I'll be away for so long, it's a nice long time for you readers to take the time to read and review, right? So please leave a review, and I hope to see at least 290 reviews when I come back!

Thank you for all your support, and I promise I will update the minute I have time.

Until... long days later...

Daidairo


End file.
